


A prank in the dark

by Wickedandelion



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bad Humor, Barista Eren Yeager, College Student Eren Yeager, Drunken Confessions, Drunken Shenanigans, Eren Has Anger Issues, Eren Is a Little Shit, First Dates, First Meetings, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Happy Ending, Love Confessions, M/M, Marco Bott & Ymir Are Twins, My First Smut, Pining Eren Yeager, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Tsundere Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), office worker levi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-10-06 09:44:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 25,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17343044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wickedandelion/pseuds/Wickedandelion
Summary: Eren Yeager is NOT a coward.And he will prove it, even if it means kissing a random man in the street.





	1. Drunken dare

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone !!
> 
> This is my first attack on titan fanfic (and my very first fanfic ^^).  
> I'm really excited (and a little worried) and hope you will like it !!
> 
> Don't hesitate to leave a comment to give me your opinion or to point a mistake. 
> 
> I'm afraid that since english is not my first language (and I don't have a bêta), there surely will be some :s
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy your reading !! XD

" Come on Yeager, you coward ! Do it ! " said Jean with a shit-eating smile.

" Yeah, do it Eren ! " sang both Connie and Sasha, before giggling like the drunk college students they were.

That was so unfair !! Really, every time one of his friend lost a bet, he would always give them a not-so-mean-forfeit, like the time he had Connie licking the armpit of the baseball team captain after a match, or when he had Armin go to the ladies restroom in college … not so mean right ?

 

So, in Eren opinion, it was pretty unfair that, since he was such a good friend, the horseface would ask him _that_.

That was a shitty prank. Well, it made sense since it was the horseface idea, but even Armin seemed happy about it !!

 

" I’m not a coward, I just don’t understand why I have to do this ! Weren’t we just doing that for fun ? It seems quite offensive to me !! " said loudly Eren.

" Oh no, you’re not getting out of this, Yeager ", replied the horseface with a grin, " you’re doing it ! ".

" Yes, " said Armin, " it's kind of funny now that I’m not the one who has to do it ! ".

" But why do I have to kiss a stranger ? I mean, what if the woman feels attacked ? What if it’s her first kiss ? Wouldn’t it be awful ?? " insisted Eren.

 

Eren Yeager was not a coward. He was just concerned for the poor girl who could be traumatized and all that crap. Yeah, he was being considerate here, definitely not a coward.

 

As he watched his friends, he could almost feel safe. Armin had stop smiling and started thinking, a hint of concern in the eyes. Connie and Sasha went silent too. The only one seeming unconvinced was Jean. He had stop laughing and was frowning, looking for a way to argue back.

Eren started to relax, he was quite sure he had won the argument here, and waited for his friends to find an other prank.

 

Armin was the first to break the silence : " I guess you make a point. I don’t want to harm anybody. Jean, you should pick an other forfeit. ".

 

 _Yesss_. Eren allowed a mischievous smile to spread on his face. He was safe. Who knew being a gentleman could be so great ?

Sasha and Connie looked disappointed, but Jean kept frowning in silence. Eren rose his right index finger and was just about to poke between his eyebrows when the horseface suddenly broke into a big grin, eyes gleaming with excitement. Eren froze, feeling uneasy.

 

" I agree Yeager, it would be really _rude_ of us to play such a prank, let’s not traumatize a poor girl … I mean, what sensed woman would want to be kissed by you anyway ? " said Jean.

" What the —" 

" _But_  " cut Jean before Eren could explode, " I didn’t asked you to kiss a girl. If you remember correctly, you moron, I asked you to kiss a _stranger_  ".

 

Jean move his eyebrows playfully with the last words and Armin couldn’t hold a giggle. It took five more minutes for Sasha and Connie to figure out what Eren what afraid to understand, and they started giggling too. Really, why was he friend with them again ?

 

" Okay ", tried Eren, " I think you all agree that being kissed by a stranger in the street is equally offensive if —" .

 

For the second time that night, he was cut, this time by his best friend :

 

" Well, I don’t think it will be that much of an offense if you kiss a man …. ".

 

_That traitor !_

 

" Come on ", add Kirschtein between two laughs, " we know it doesn’t bother you to kiss a man, dude ! I promise, I will try to find a good one ! What’s the worst thing that could happen ? ".

 

" Yeah, he’s right Eren " said gleefully Sasha,  " at worst he will kick your ass ! ".

 

At that point, Connie was sitting on the ground, laughing like a five years old who heard the chipmunks sing the theme song of the Attack on Titan anime. Even his soon to be ex-best friend Armin was smiling. _These bastards_ !! Eren was fuming and opened his mouth to defended himself, only to be cut _for the third time_.

 

" Come on you suicidal bastard " said Jean, " we are used to watch you doing more stupidly dangerous things … don’t tell me little Yeager is afraid of a little kiss ? ".

 

" Woooooouuuuu " sang suggestively Connie and Sasha, sitting next to each other on the ground.

 

Eren started clenching his fists. Okay, those morons wanted him to kiss a stranger in the street ? _No problem_. Eren Yeager wasn’t afraid of _anything_ (except wasp, thunder, and some other non-so-important-little-things).

 

" Okay, cut the crap, I will do it !! Just tell me who !! " said Eren angrily.

 

Both idiots stood up to stand next to Jean and Armin, the four friends watching eagerly around them to find " the perfect man " for Eren to kiss, and probably beat the crap out of him.

 

They were standing in front of Connie’s apartment, were they had played card and drinking games for several hours this friday night. It was around 11 pm and the streets were rather deserted. Eren felt a tiny hope rise in his chest.

 _Maybe nobody will walk the empty street and all my not-so-nice drunken friends would have to pick someone up for me an other day. With enough luck, they even would forget about all this (they all had drink quite a bit and were more than tipsy). Yeah, maybe_ —

 

And that was the moment the door of one of the neighbors’s house opened for two people : a man and a woman. The four drunk college students hold their breath and Eren sighed.

Yeah, he was screwed. 

 

The woman was taller than the man (or rather, he was petite ?), and seemed quite drunk. Also, her appearance could make the trick : with her messy brown hair, her big round glasses and the way she was frenetically waving to someone inside the house, she could be either really drunk, crazy, or both.

Oddly, the petite man seemed to be the opposite of the loud woman. He was calmly waiting for her, his eyebrows slightly frowned in a bored expression. His dark raven hair was cut in a very neat undercut, and framed a really pale skin. Despite his small stature, the man seemed quite fitted, and had a " don’t mess with me " aura surrounding him.

Eren gulped. The man was smaller than him but he had the feeling he could kick his ass really easily. He turned his head to meet the gaze of his friends. All four were grinning like loons.

 

" Okay Prince Yeager, the not-sleeping-petite-beauty there is awaiting for your goodnight kiss, go for it !! " said the horseface, looking too content of himself. The three other morons nodded enthusiastically and Eren sighed again.

 

Eren Yeager was not a coward. It was time to prove himself. He turned in direction of the raven, who was still waiting for the crazy woman, and took a big inspiration. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Sasha hold her phone and aim at him. _Wait, was she recording ?_

 

 _Okay me, you can do it. You just have to approach him, then you kiss him really quick and then you run the hell out of here. Easy peasy._

 

He clenched his fists and walked silently until he was facing the raven.

 

 _You can do it_.

 

The petite man met his gaze with one eyebrow raised with curiosity. His eyes seemed dark in the obscurity and his stare was intimidating.

 

_Okay, Sasha is filming, don’t chicken out, you can do it !!_

 

Eren suddenly bent to the raven, aiming for his lips. Unfortunately, at the same time, the petite man had open his mouth to speak, and Eren lips met with ...the raven’s tongue.

He heard a big gasp — probably from the glasses woman — and a mix of several noises that suspiciously resembled laughs.

 

Eren pull his face up and caught a glimpse of the raven : the man was petrified, mouth opened and eyes widened from the shock.

The college student was mortified and turn around to start running, when he was violently pulled from the back. He yelped and fell on his butt. When he raised his head, he was met with a frightening vision : the petite man leaned over him, staring at him with pure rage. He opened his mouth and shouted :

" What the ? Why ? Who ? For fuck sake ! You son of a fucking mother of shitty bitch !!!!!!!!! "

 

The petite man continued to yell incoherent words, interspersed with other words so vulgar he didn’t even know them. Eren was terrified and pathetically shaking on the ground.

 

The man was cut in his furious speech by what seemed to be an explosion. They both turned their gaze to the noise's direction and saw the crazy woman kneeing on the ground. She was laughing so hard her glasses were starting to fall of her nose. Her laugh was truly frightening. It was loud and maniacal, and she didn’t really seemed to breath between cackles.

 

At this point, Eren was beyond fear. His imagination went wild and tears started to form in the corner of his green eyes.

 

_Oh my god, how can she laugh so hard ? Is she even human ? Doesn’t she need to breath ? Is she going to die ? Can a human die from laughing too hard ? Oh.My.Fucking.God, are the cops going to charge me with murder for killing a woman by making her laugh ? Am I going to spend my life in jail ? No, the midget from hell over there is surely going to kill me first !! I don’t want to die, I’m only 23 years old and I never fell in love and I still have one slice of pizza in my fridge and —_

 

" Oi, brat ! " said a deep voice.

 

He turned his face and met the angry gaze of the raven. He gasped and looked back with pleading eyes.

 

_Please don’t kill me, please don’t kill me, please don’t kill me._

 

" What the hell was that you disgusting bastard ? What crazy son of a bitch run into people and kiss them with their filthy mouth ??!! "

 

" I, uh, I-I …. ", stuttered the college student.

 

" Oi, stop shitting yourself and listen to me, brat ! You better fucking answer me : do you have had all your shots ? "

Eren blinked twice and then stared stupidly at the man, who was now frowning in … _concern_ ? Was the man afraid that Eren would infect him ?

The man patience seemed to reached his end as he suddenly yanked the college kid by his collar and shook him : " HAD YOU FUCKING HAD ALL YOUR SHOTS ????!!!! ".

 

Eren honestly didn’t know but, for the life of him, there was no way he was going to say that, so he nodded frenetically and cried : " Yes ! Yes ! My father is a doctor, don’t worry !! ".

 

The older man seemed to be a little relieved and let him go. He went silent for a moment. All Eren couldhear was the maniacal laugh behind him — _seriously, doesn’t this creep need to breath ?_ — and the sound of his heart beating like crazy in his chest.

 

The raven kept silent. He seemed in a deep reflexion, eyebrows frowned more than ever, head slightly tilted to the side. Eren stayed still, feeling to shaky to try to run away and — let’s be honest — quite afraid of peeing himself if he tried (one rhum-soda, three beers and being about to be beaten up just didn’t mix well).

 

The raven broke the silence : " Hey shitty brat ! Have you brushed your teeth tonight ? "

 

" Hum … no ? "

 

The eyes of the older man lighted with fury and Eren quickly added " but I had alcool, like, a lot, a-and, doesn’t alco-ool, kills bacterias, yeah ? "

 

The raven mouth tore into a rictus and Eren nearly peed himself. Then he took a deep breath.

_Okay, this is it ! If you don’t fight, you lose, and if you lose, you die._

 

He stood up to face the older man, legs shaking but fists clenched and jaw crisped in determination.

 

" Oh, not bad. Let’s see what you’ve got, brat " said the raven. 

 

 

 


	2. Bear Hug and Blue Bird

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren meets Hanji :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys !!
> 
> Thank you so much for the kudos and all the lovely comments !!
> 
> I'm going to try posting a new chapter at least every week,
> 
> This chapter is shorter than the first one but I hope you will like it,
> 
> Enjoy XD
> 
> ps : like always, don't hesitate to leave a comment to let me know what you think or point a mistake :)

****The older man was clearly mocking him, the right corner of the mouth up in a slight grin. Eren saw red and launched himself at the raven.

But, just when his fist wast about to reach the man’s face, he felt a harsh pain in his chest and his feet leave the ground.

 

The first thought popping in his head was that he was being attacked by a bear. A brown bear. A brown bear with round glasses. _The fuck ?_

 

Before he could process the situation, the deep _amused_ voice of the raven cut his train of thoughts :

 

« What the fuck are you doing, shitting glasses ? »

 

« I’m saving the cutie pie ! He is too sweet, let’s not break this fine piece of art, shall we my little oreo ? » replied the bear with an high-pitched enthusiastic voice.

 

The raven snorted and said « If you continue to squeeze him like that, your fucking pie will have shitty marmelade jolting out of his eyes, shitty glasses »

 

Eren looked at his chest, currently being bear-hugged by to strong arms, while his feet still hung in the air. He suddenly felt the urge to question his life choices.

 

To his relief, the woman put him down and let him go. He stumbled on his feet, the anger longed vanished from the shock. He tried to gain back his senses and looked at the two strangers.

 

The bored expression was back on the man’s face and he turned his back, walking to the house he came out of earlier. He got inside and Eren was sure he heard the words _mouth wash_ before the door closed.

Meanwhile, the woman was staring at him with a creepy grin. So creepy that for a second, he considered going after the very same man he wanted to punch two minutes ago, and ask him for help.

 

« Hello there, cinnamon roll ! I’m Hanji, and the charming little man who just ditched us is Levi ! What’s your name sweetie? » asked the woman.

 

Eren was to dumbfounded to think, he just replied his name automatically.

 

« Sooo Eren, » continued an over-excited Hanji, leaning against him with a conspiratory look, « now that Levi’s gone, tell me : are you a secret admirer of Levi, who has been stalking him for months before losing it and kissing him in the spur of the moment, or is it a case of love at first sight and that was your attempt to declare your burning passion for my petite friend ? »

 

_Okay, she’s perhaps a little drunk, but definitively crazy._

 

At that point, the college student didn’t know what bothered him the most : being confused for some pervert by a deranged woman, or the fact that his crapy friends clearly didn’t intend to come and help him. Hell, he was sure those jerks were having a tone of fun at his expenses.

 

The woman got closer, waiting for his reply. He took to step back and stuttered :

 

« N-no !! I-I, I’m not, I just, huh, I—»

 

« Come on, Eren, don’t be embarrassed » cut the woman — _god, what was it tonight with everyone cutting him mid-sentences ?_ — « that sure wasn’t the best way to win Levi’s heart » she added, giggling, « but I’m on your side ! I think you should — »

 

That was is. Eren didn’t know what she was going to say, but he was sure he didn’t want to.

He turned away and ran like Satan himself was chasing him.

He didn’t even stop when he heard the voices of his friends calling him.

 

～～～～～～

 

His alarm clock woke him up early. _Too early_.

Last night, he arrived home around 1 am and couldn’t fall asleep before 2:30 am. That was the most confusing and embarrassing night of his life. He had a bunch of messages from his friends on his phone, but chose to turn it off before going to bed. He didn’t want to speak to anybody. For once, he even was glad his father wasn’t home when he came back.

 

Hegroaned and went to take a shower before putting on a black pair of jeans and the green shirt with the logo of his workplace. He was in a bad mood but tried to stay positive. At least, working will help clear his thoughts of last night. He put his jacket on and got out of the house.

 

 _Maria cafe_ was just fifteen minutes walking from his home and he arrived quickly. He went behind the counter and nodded to his two co-workers, already there.

Marco was a tall man his age with black hair, brown eyes, and freckles. In Eren’s opinion, he was the nicest guy on earth and his smile could smooth anybody.

The other one, Ymir, was Marco's twin sister. Like her brother, she was a tall brunette with brown eyes and freckles. Although, unlike him, she was quick to get angry and didn’t fear to say whatever was in her mind, regardless of the person. Eren liked her a lot too, he just learned quickly to stay on her good side.

Both siblings were children of the owner and Eren had gotten the job thanks to them.

 

Marco gave him an apologetic smile while Ymir grinned at him. She was the first to break the ice :

 

« Hey Eren ! A little bird told me you made new friends yesterday ? »

 

« What ? What are you talking about ? Who said that ? », asked Eren.

 

« Well, a little bird called _twitter_ spread the news last night, with a reaaaaally nice video of you trying to kiss an angry midget » answered Ymir with a mischievous smile.

 

« OMFG ! Those bastards posted the video on twitter ? Let me guess, that was Jean, right ? I’m going to kill him !!! I’m going to kill him so hard his ghost will die, that horseface jerk !!! » shouted Eren.

 

Ymir bursted ou laughing and Marco got closer to him with a concerned face :

 

« Are you okay ? I’m sure he didn’t mean any harm. Let him know that you’re not confortable with the video being online and Jean will remove it. »

 

« Like hell I am ! That bastard would be too damn happy !! Next time I see him, I’m going to punch him, crash is fucking phone to pieces, then punch him again in his stupid face !! ».

 

Eren was fuming, yelling in the empty cafe while Marco was trying to calm him down, Ymir still laughing like a hyena. The three had their back facing the entrance door and jumped when a deep bored voice came from behind :

 

« Oi ! The shitty pervert over there ! Quit complaining an make me a medium black tea to go ! Ain’t got all day ! Some of us actually have to fucking work ! ».

 

The three of them quickly turned back to face the customer, and Eren felt his guts tense.

 

In a white shirt and dark suit, the petite man from last night was frowning impatiently at him. 


	3. Sexy Midget and Dead Tv

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren makes amend and can't stand the "M" word.
> 
> (N/A : I'm so bad at summary :' )

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys !!
> 
> Thanks again for the nice comments and the kudos, keep me motivated to go on !! =)
> 
> Here is this week chapter, it comes with some angst but I hope you will like anyway. 
> 
> Enjoy !! XD

Ymir and Marco quickly greeted him then grabbed cleaning tools in order to wipe clean tables in a really obvious attempt to look busy. Eren stood still, dumbfounded.

 

His first thought was that the universe, the karma, the giant cosmic turtle or whatever, was being a bitch. The second one was that he was screwed. And, the third one, to his surprise, was something about the midget from hell being frigging hot ! _How did I miss that ?_

 

Then, came the fourth thought, — which wasn’t a result of the third one, really — something about trying to make amend for the previous night. He was a mature adult after all, he didn’t mind apologizing when he was the one at fault.

 

He broke in a smile he hoped to be humble, and greeted _Sexy Midget From Hell_ , also known as Levi :

" Hum, hello ! Welcome to _Maria cafe_ , please wait a minute, I’m going to make your order right now ! ".

 

He grabbed a medium cup and started pouring the tea, being really cautious to never touch the edge of the cup with his bare fingers since he painfully remembered Levi to have a little problem with bacterias. Then he put the order on the counter and smiled :

" A medium black tea to go. I hope you enjoy it and have a good day at work ! ".

 

The raven looked suspiciously at him, then moved slowly forward to reach the cup. It was almost as if he was expecting Eren to suddenly jump above the counter and attack him. _Well …_

 

 _"_ Huh, " began Eren, " for yesterday, I’m sorry. I was on a drinking night with my friends and I lost a bet so they thought it would be funny to have me kiss a stranger … and, again, we were really drunk and I didn’t want to, but the horseface provoked me and, huh … well, what I’m trying to say is that I’m sorry, and I’m not a pervert, and … did I mention I was drunk ? ".

 

" Okay, " replied Levi, " but if you ever try that again I will shove my foot so deep in your fucking ass that your teeth will pop out of your shitty mouth ! ".

 

For some reason, that made Eren feel frightened, but also a little excited. God, maybe he was a pervert after all.

 

" Yes captain ! " said the college student with a playful smile.

 

" Oi, quite grinning like a moron and tell me how much I have to pay already ! " said the older man in a bored tone.

 

" Oh no ! That’s on me ! Take it as an apology for yesterday ! "

 

" Whatever " grumbled Levi. He turned back and started to walk to the door.

 

" Have a good day Levi ! ", shouted Eren, " And feel free to come again ! "

 

Levi’s hand froze on the handle. He stared at the younger man :

" What did you said ? " said the man in a dangerous tone.

 

" Huh, feel free to come again ? " replied a confused Eren.

 

" Before that "

 

" Have a good day Le— oh ! Hum, … "

 

" How the fuck do you know my name ? "

 

" The bear, I mean, your friend told me ! I think her name was Hanji ? " was his sheepish reply.

 

Levi’s face twitched slightly in amusement at the bear mention, then returned to be blank.

Then he asked : " What else did she said ? "

 

" Nothing I swear ! Well, she accused me of being a stalker and asked me if I fell in love with you at first sight but it was all …. I, huh, kind of ran away after that ? "

 

Eren could feel a traitorous blush color his face … he probably looked like a fucking tomato !

 

Somehow, the raven looked less tense at his words. He snorted and said : " Yeah, the shitty glasses gets that a lot ! "

 

Then Levi turned away and got out of the shop before Eren could add anything.

 

The college student was frustrated, but tried to see the glass halfway filled.

_At least, he didn’t kick my ass. Maybe he will like the tea and come back ?_

 

Well, hope was free after all …

 

 **～** **～～～～～**

 

The day had been exhausting. He kicked his shoes off on the entry then aimed for the kitchen. No need to get them out of the way, that wasn’t like anybody will be here beside him anyway.

He opened the fridge and took the remaining slice of pizza, eating it all in four bites. Then he grabbed a ginger ale and the last packet of chocolate cookies, and went to sat on the living room couch.

He was looking for a Netflix show when his phone began to play _Relax_ from _Frankie goes to Hollywood_.

 

" Hey Mikasa ! " answered Eren with a mouth full of cookies, " what’s up ? "

 

" Eren, don’t speak while you eat. " replied his friend with her usual cool tone. " Anyway, are you okay ? Are you hurt ? " 

 

The dose of concern in her voice was a little more than usual, so Eren took a guess : " I believe you saw the video ? ".

" Indeed. I wish I could say I wouldn’t believe you will do something so stupid … and you didn’t answered my question. " she dead-panned.

 

Eren sighted. Did she really needed to rub his nose in every mistake he made ? As if wasn’t aware already !

 

" I don’t want to talk about that, and _yes_ I’m okay ! "

 

" Eren, I’m worried about you, I wish you would start to —" 

 

" So, " shouted Eren, stronger than needed, " how was your canadian week ? "

 

Mikasa kept silent for almost 30 seconds, then replied :

 

" Great, since the first semester exams are over, I finally have some time to enjoy myself with Annie. But if you want, I can come back here and spend some time with you instead ? "

 

" No thanks !! I would love to see you Mika, but I will be happier knowing that you enjoy yourself with your girlfriend, you deserve it ! "

 

" Well, okay. But if anything happen, tell me ! And please try to stay safe and think before acting "

 

" I always think before acting ! " protested Eren.

 

They both know that was a lie, but maybe she would take the hint and change the subject.

 

" Didn’t seem like it to me  when I was watching the video this morning ".

 

 _Ok, maybe not_.

 

" Mikasa … " began Eren.

 

" Don’t Mikasa me Eren ! You know I’m right. You know I care about you. I just wish you would act more like an adult. You can’t continue like that. You know that’s what your mother—" 

 

Eren hang up before she could finish her sentence, then threw his phone across the room. He started pacing in front of the tv, waves of anger running through his body.

 

How dare she pronounced that word ? She knew he didn’t want to talk about it ! As if she could understand … nobody could !

 

 **BAM**.

 

The giant tv screen fell on the ground and crumbled under his foot.

 

When the relief hit him, he almost regretted. Then he remembered : not like anybody will be here beside him.

 

He left the broken screen on the floor and went to sleep.

 

 **～** **～～～～～**

 

Once again, the alarm woke him up early. _Too early on a fucking Sunday morning_.

 

He got up and performed his bathroom morning ritual, then went to the kitchen for a cup of coffee.

All the cupboards were empty and he got to the living room to fetch the last two remaining cookies of yesterday packet. He almost stepped on his phone, lying on the floor not so far from the dead tv.

He sighed and picked it up. The screen was a little crumbled on the left top corner, but not broken.

 

He put it in his back jeans pocket, along with his charger and his wallet, then put his shoes on and left for his work.

 

Fifteen minutes later, the chill of January had somehow succeeded in improving his mood, and he greeted happily his coworkers when he arrived. Since today was the twins day off, he waved at the stupid couple cuddling behind the counter.

 

" Hey Sash ! Connie ! Morning guys ! "

 

He wasn’t mad anymore. After all, that was a little thanks to them he had met with _Sexy Midget_ —, _Levi_ !

Although, Eren Yeager wasn’t one to hold a grudge. He preferred to use his energy for more productive things, like, perhaps, getting Levi’s phone number ….

 

" Hey dude ! Good to see you ! " replied Connie.

 

" Yeah, " added Sasha, " we were starting to worry … why didn’t you reply ? We sent you like ten messages on your phone !! "

 

" Sorry guys, I forgot to charge it " lied Eren. As to prove himself, he took the phone and the charger from his pocket and went to plug them in the room staff.

 

Then he came back and started to put the freshly baked muffins on display.

 

" We were worried you were angry for the video thing … " said carefully Connie.

 

 _Fuck_ ! He had forgotten about it ! Okay, Eren Yeager was not one to hold a grudge but the horseface was definitely getting his ass kicked !

 

The thought must had shown on his face because Sasha continued :

 

" If it’s about that, don’t worry, Jean removed it ! ".

 

Eren looked skeptical : " He did ? "

 

" Yeah, " replied Connie with a grin, " apparently Mikasa called him last night, and she was pretty pissed ! "

 

The three of them broke in laughter … Eren felt relieved, but he couldn’t help the glimpse or remorse in his chest. When his phone was charged, he should send Mikasa a thank you text.

 

The three friends kept chatting happily while working, waiting for the first customers to arrive.

 

Two hours later, the entrance door of the half empty coffee shop opened on a petite raven and a bear woman.


	4. Operation "seducing the nerd"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Eren like movie puns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys !!
> 
> I just would like to say : 40 kudos, wow, thanks so much guys !! That means a lot ! XD
> 
> Also, thanks for the comments.   
> I would like to dedicate this stupid bad puned chapter to Shinee4973 : thanks for your feedback on each chapter, I really appreciate it !! ^^
> 
> Hope you like this new one,
> 
> Enjoy XD

The bear wo— _Hanji_ , stayed by the entrance, talking on her phone, while Levi walked straight to the counter. Eren decided it was his chance. He put on his best smile and greeted the raven :

"Welcome to Cafe Maria, what wo—" 

"One Earl Grey, large, no sugar, and a lemon muffin " cut him Levi.

"O-okay " stuttered Eren, " hum, to go or —" 

" No ".

 

Eren was a little taken aback by Levi’s bossy tone but he decided to go with it for now. Regarding their first encounter, Levi being awkward was understandable. Eren decided to stay cheerful :

" Okay, that would be 7,30 $ " said the college student with a smile before starting to prepare the drink.

Levi put the exact amount on the counter and crossed his arms on his chest.

Eren put the drink on a plate and leaned to grab a lemon muffin.

" So ", started Eren, " you come here often ? "

Levi sighed loudly then looked at him :

" Okay perverted brat, I’m gonna make it clear for you : I don’t want to be your friend, I dont’ want to talk to you or to learn things about you so shut your shitty mouth and make my order already ! "

 

Eren’s eyes widened and he replied angrily :

" Then why the hell are you here ? I have been working here for several month and I never saw you coming here before, then you come here two days in a row !! What is your problem ?! ".

 

The raven stared at him silently, then dead-panned :

" I just discovered this place yesterday and the tea was not bad. Also, it is true that I came here today hopping you would be here, but I didn’t come for you "

" What the fuck ? Then why —" 

" This morning, the shitty glasses fucking broke into my apartment and dragged me out because she fucking wanted to have breakfast outside " said Levi while pointing rather angrily at the woman who was still talking excitedly on her phone, oblivious of her surroundings.

Eren was more and more confused : " So ? "

" So ", smirked Levi, " I would rather have her on your back than on mine ! Now shut your trap and give me my fucking muffin you shitty perv’ ! "

 

Okay, circonstances of their first encounter be damned, nothing could justifie that !

It took all of Eren self control to drop the muffin on the plate rather than Levi’s face.

The raven snorted, then, without a look at the angry college student, took his plate and got to sit on a table near the window.

Eren stood still, his furious glare pointed at the asshole, which, for some mysterious unfair reasons, he continued to find really sexy. _Fuck !_ _Why the attractives ones are always —_

His thoughts were interrupted by a scream which probably pierces both his eardrums :

" Oh my god ! Eren, my little love of a stalker !! You work here ? That’s wonderful, I’m so happy to meet you again, cutie pie !! " 

 

Hanji rushed to the counter and almost jumped over to grab Eren in one of her bones crasher hug. Eren opened his mouth to ask her to let him go but the air remained blocked in his lungs. He turned his face to Levi, in a silent attempt to ask for help, but was met instead with a disappointing vision. Legs crossed, the older man was casually lending on his chair, looking at them with genuine interest, like they were some sorts of new specie of exotic insects. When his gaze met with the younger’s, his mouth turned in a smirk and he rose his drink on the air, silently toasting at Eren’s despair.

Since he wasn’t obviously getting any help from the king of assholery, Eren began to turn his head everywhere, looking for a good soul to help him. He then realized the coffee shop was abnormally silent, dozen of eyes pointed at him, some looking amused, and others slightly embarrassed.

Great, just what he needed !!

Finally, the crazy woman let him go and he could breath normally again. _Hello again, oxygen, my friend._

He cleared his throat and looked in the woman’ eyes :

" He-hello Hanji ! Hum, just so you know, I’m not really a hug person so, could you, hum, not do that please ? " 

" Ooooh, don’t be shy my little pie ! Everybody says the same but eventually, they just let me cuddle them, you will get used to it sweetie ! " replied the brown bear with a deranged grin.

_OMG, they all abandoned, did they ? Are some of them still alive ?_

" Anyway " continued the young man, " what can I get you ? " 

" I would like a large latte macchiato with fudge topping and a chocolate muffin please ! "

" Okay, that will be 8,60$, please. "

As Eren rung her order, he added "please, go sit, I will bring your order to your table ".

But his hopes were crushed when Hanji leaned her elbows on the counter, looking at him enthusiastically : " Nah, that’s okay, I would rather stay with you, my little cinamon roll ! We couldn’t chat for long the other night and I have a lot of questions for you " she said with a large grin.

" B-but " stuttered the student, " your friend will get impatient ! I’m sure he’s waiting for you ! "

Hanji giggled and moved playfully her eyebrows : " Nah ! Actually, _I_ ’m sure he would rather have you to join him ".

" That’s impossible, he just explained to me really clearly that he doesn’t want to have anything to do with me " replied darkly Eren.

The woman’s eyes widened comically behind her glasses, making her look even crazier.

" OMG, Levi talk to you ? Like, with several sentences ? " she squeaked.

" Well, yeah, but to tell me he doesn’t want to know me and —" 

" Awww, he likes you !! Good for you, sweetie stalker ! "

 

Hanji was positively beaming, while Eren looked at her with confusion. Hanji had to notice it because she continued " Levi is really shy and twice as awkward, trust me, I know him since high school, if he wasn’t interested, you wouldn’t get even one sentence out of him !! "

_What ?_   Eren was not totally convinced but it certainly was an interesting news.

At this moment, he promised himself he would get Levi’s number, not matter what. _Game on !_

 

" I see " replied the young man, "so, since you seem to know him well, how could I get his number ? "

Hanji smiled even wider, literally jumping on her feet : " I knew it, that’s love !! Okay, sweetie pie, I will help you but on one condition : I get to pick the song of your first dance at your wedding!! "

_What the hell ?_ Well, on second thought, there wasn’t much risk since he didn’t plan on ever getting married.

" Deal " said Eren, smiling. " So ? "

" Okay, so I think the better way is to make yourself interesting in a non predictable way … like, you want him to think ‘what is Eren going to invent today ?’, you see ? Get him entertained ! "

" Hum, that’s seems rather complicated but I like challenges … any idea how I can do that ? "

" Well, it’s better if you find your own way, but I can tell you he secretly is a big fan of sci-fi and fantasy movies … that could be a good start ! " replied Hanji with a wink.

" Okay, operation seducing the nerd it is ! " said cheerfully Eren.

Hanji threw her head back and laughed out loud.

" You can start now, brown sugar of mine ! I will take your offer and go sat so you can bring my order to our table ".

She winked a last time at him and get to the raven’s table.

Eren could hear a very loud " Sorry for the wait, did you miss me, my little tiramisu ?! " and smiled to himself.

He went to prepare Hanji’s order and thought about something that could win the sexy raven’s attention when he heard Connie and Sasha’s voices speaking at the same time behind him :

" Hey dude, are you okay ? "

" OMG, aren’t they the crazy woman and the midget you tried to kiss the other night ?!! "

Eren turned around and saw his two friends, Sasha looking at him excitedly, Connie looking at Levi and Hanji with confusion. Then, something seemed to click in the last one face and he looked at Eren with amusement : " OMG, your right Sash ! It’s them !! That’s so fucking good !! What were the odds ? What do we do ? "

Eren put the drink he just finished pouring on a plate, along with a chocolate muffin, then asked his friends : " Guys, what’s the better sci-fi movie of all times ? "

" Star Wars !! " replied the idiot couple at the same time.

That was one of the reasons he liked them. They always played along, without bothering to look for an explanation. They were just up for fun !

" Thanks guys ! I’m going now, take care of the counter for me, please ? " smiled Eren.

" Got you ! " said Connie while Sasha waved at him.

 

Eren grabbed the plate and headed to Levi’s table. He dropped it in front of Hanji :

" Thank you for the wait, here is your order, I hope you like it ! "

" Thank you, dear ! " replied Hanji with a smile.

Eren then looked at Levi and asked : " How was you _tea_ , _woke_ you up Levi ? "

The raven looked back with a slightly intrigued look. Behind him, he could hear Hanji chuckle.

" What ? " said Levi, monotoned.

" Just wanted to ask if it suited your taste, you know, cause I made your tea stronger than usual since you seemed to prefer it _on the dark side_  " added the college student with a grin.

Levi remained silent, fixing the younger man with an indescribable emotion on his face.

_Well, now that I have your attention …_

" Nothing ? I’m sorry _this isn’t the tea you’re looking for_. I must admit I’m quite disappointed here, thought if I did it right, I could perhaps get your phone number as a token of your appreciation … too bad ! Well, I will try harder next time ! For now I will leave you guys alone, _may the taste be with you !_  "

 

Hanji was cackling like a maniac while Levi looked at him with a blank face. Eren winked at the raven then went back behind the counter.

He was welcomed by two hilarious friends. It was good to know some people could appreciate the fine humor of movie puns. Before he could satisfy their curiosity, the entrance door opened on a group of seemingly all-nighter-still-a-little-drunk-and-hangover-students.

The three of them ended quite occupied for the next hour.

 

**～～～～～～**

 

Eren was on his couch, his laptop on his knees. He got back home one hour earlier and was looking on some movie puns for the hopefully next time he will see Levi. For a Sunday, the day had been more exhausting than usual. Around noon, the weather had suddenly decide they had had enough sunshine and started to pour heavy rains on the many people walking around in the nearby parc. The coffee shop ended so full people kept standing against the walls, sipping on their hot drinks while waiting for the rain to falter.

Sunday was the most tiresome since he worked all day, his others shifts being mostly on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings. Sure, 25 hours a week weren’t much but it helped getting food in the fridge while keeping his studies on. For now, most of the house expenses were charged on his father’s account, as were his student fees. As a doctor’s son, he didn’t really need to work if it wasn’t for the occasional times his father decided to drop home. Once or twice a month weren’t nearly enough to fill the fridge. Besides, Eren preferred by far working than asking anything to the bastard. He had no idea where his father could be sleeping all these nights and stoped caring since high school days. He couldn’t wait for the day he would get a job and finally get his own place.

For now, all he could do was studying and try to not think of all the memories coming with his family house.

That was the reason he was glad he met Levi. There was something about the man he couldn’t quite understand. Sure, the man was really attractive, but Eren being the patient man he was, no attractiveness would be enough to overpower so much rudeness. But that was the thing. Be it any other man, Eren would have been put off, hell he even would have kick their ass but Levi ? No, Levi just seemed even more interesting. There was definitely something about the sexy midget, and Eren would find out.

The sound of _Smarty Pants_ by _First Choice_ started echoing on the living room and Eren grabbed his cellphone :  " Hey Armin ! "

" Hello, Eren ! I’m glad to hear from you, how are you ? " said his best friend.

" I’m good, dude, just a little tired from work, you ? "

" I’m okay, I just finished working on an assignment and though I would check on you … "

Armin’s voice was a little concerned and Eren knew that was his best friend’s subtle way of asking why he didn’t give news earlier. That was one of many things Eren loved about him. He smiled and answered the silent question : " Sorry I didn’t reply to your messages, work was really tiring ".

" Hum " said Armin. _Translation : I don’t believe you one bit but I will not push further for now_.

" Anyway, " hurried Eren " you won’t believe who walked on the shop, two days in a row !! "

" Who ? " sighed his friends. _Translation : I’m letting you change the subject but I would rather had you open to me, I’m worried about you_.

" Levi !! " beamed Eren. The following blank surprised him until he realized Armin probably didn’t know the older man’s name. " The man you dared me to kiss !! " he added quickly.

" What ?! Oh my god, Eren ! ". This time, the tone was a mixture of amusement and concern. " Are you okay ? " continued his friend.

" Yeah ! I mean, at the beginning I was a little stressed but I took the chance to apologize to him, and I feel much better now, you know, doing the mature thing. "

He heard Amin chuckled.

" What ? "

" Nothing ! Just, hum, would Levi happened to be nice to look at ? " replied his best friend.

Eren could picture Armin’s smile without seeing him.

" What does it have to do with the subject ? "

" Well, it’s just that you’re not usually preoccupied about being responsible or taking the blame, Eren. Make me thing that perhaps, the angry guy of the other night might be good on the eyes on sunlight " giggled his friend.

And Armin would asked Eren why he assigned him _Smarty Pants_ as a ringtone.

Well, he could get upset, or he could make the best of this situation : " Let’s just say he’s not bad "

Armin snorted on the phone. Eren continued : " by the way Ar, could you help me think about sci-fi movie puns related to tea or coffee ? "

" Why ? ", asked playfully Armin.

" No reason, just thought it would be fun " replied innocently Eren.

" Sure, no reason " repeated Armin, laughing.

 

They ended doing a contest about who could think of the stupidest pun.

 

**～～～～～～**

 

Monday passed quickly. Eren attended morning classes, ate with his friends, laughed with them, fought with Jean, attended afternoon classes, made up with Jean, called Mikasa, went to the supermarket, then got back in his silent home. A rather normal day in the young man’s life.

 

Tuesday was more unnerving. He woke up for his early shift at the coffee shop, eager to see if Levi would come. He arrived fifteen minutes earlier than usual and was greeted by surprised twins.

" Fell out of the bed, Eren ? " grinned Ymir, while Marco wave gently at him.

" Nah, just figured I would come sooner to enjoy your lovely company a little more " grinned back Eren.

" Oh, that’s nice, and here I was thinking it could have something to do with this Levi guy ! How silly of me. " beamed Ymir.

Even Marco smiled a little at his sister’s remark.

" Who sold me ? " sighed Eren. No need to deny anymore.

" The idiot couple " answered Ymir, " apparently you’re just as discreet as ever " she winked.

That had Eren laughing, promptly joined by the twins.

" Do you like him ? " asked Marco.

" I don’t know, but the guy sure seems interesting " replied Eren.

" Interesting and quite good looking, hum ? " said Ymir.

Both Eren and Marco looked surprised.

" What ", continued the woman, " just because I like girls doesn’t mean I’m blind. Doesn’t mean either that I’m unfaithful, you know Christa is the only one for me !! " she added with passion.

" We know " sighed both men at the same time.

Hell if there was a single soul in twenty miles around who didn’t know about Ymir’s passionate love for Christa !!

 

Then the door opened on their firsts customers and the three friends got to work.

 

**～～～～～～**

 

One hour later, the door was pushed opened by Levi. The raven entered and waited at the end of the line. When he arrived at the counter, he was greeted by sparkling blue-green eyes and a bright smile : " Welcome to cafe Maria, what can I get you Captain Levi ? " asked Eren.

The raven kept silent for a moment, staring at the younger man, then answered : " Large earl grey to go, no sugar ".

" The usual, I see. We shall make a _hobbit_ out of it " winked Eren before writing the raven’s name on an empty cup. " That would be 4$ please ".

As usual, Levi put the exact amount on the counter and waited silently for the college student to prepare his drink.

" So, not feeling like _tolkien_ much today ? " asked Eren while pouring hot water inside the cup.

" Wow, is this the best you can do, brat ? " dead-panned Levi.

" Well, I would love to do better but all the goods ones _Aragorn_  " grinned Eren, handing Levi his drink. Levi took it carefully and sighed : " Whatever ".

" So ? " asked Eren before the raven could go.

" So ? " replied Levi, raising an eyebrow.

" Are you going to give me your phone number ? " continued hopefully Eren.

" …. fuck off " was the flat monotonous answer, before Levi turned back and walked straight to the door.

" Have a good day " waved cheerfully Eren.

The raven looked back at him, blank face, for five seconds before getting out.

Eren went back to greet customers, taking there order with a stupid smile on. When the flow of customers finally decreased, Ymir leaned on her elbows next to him.

" Didn’t worked as you hoped, Eren-boy ? " she grinned.

" Sure it did ! " answered Eren.

Ymir rose her eyebrows.

" He turned back to look at me " smirked proudly Eren.

Ymir chuckled and Marco smiled sweetly at him.


	5. Locked box and Fortune cookies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> where Eren finally gets a date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What, two chapters the same day ? 
> 
> Woaw, the autor must be really inspired ... or bored ... or perhaps she should really be studying for her coming exams but decided to procrastinate instead ...
> 
> Good luck future me, you will need it !! Muahahahaha !!
> 
> Anyway, I hope you like this one guys ... got some Ereri in it ^^ (or Riren, as you prefer guy) !!
> 
> Enjoy XD

The two following weeks, Levi kept visiting the coffee shop, mostly alone, sometimes with Hanji, only to be greeted by a smiling brunette. Every time, Eren would make silly puns about sci-fi movies, then ask for his number. Every time, Levi would tell him to fuck off, but he would be back same hour the next day. Until one Tuesday, after a particularly bad Iron Man pun, the brunette caught the left corner of the raven’s mouth slightly rising in a discreet smile. _Goaaaal !_

Then Levi put back on his blank face and seemingly waited for Eren’s usual question.

" So, will you give me your phone number ? " asked Eren.

" You sure are a persistent little shit ! Alright, if I give you my number, will you shut the fuck up ?! " replied the raven, sounding angry.

Two weeks earlier, Eren would have been fooled, but he had time to observe the older man and knew better. He smiled fondly and said " Yesss ! Promised ! "

Levi grumbled, looking at him with disbelief, but headed him his receipt with the nine awaited digits neatly written on the back.

" Thank you Levi !! " smiled Eren.

" Whatever " said the raven before grabbing his drink and hurriedly exiting the shop.

 _Aaaaw, he is so sweet when he is embarrassed_.

Eren put the receipt in his back pocket and returned to work, his smile never faltering once.

 

When his shift ended, he handed to the staff room, only to be trapped in a sudden hug. He hugged back an excited Sasha, before noticing a rather sulky Connie behind her. That surprised him, up until now, his friend never seemed concerned about his lover hugging friends …

" Thank you, you did really well Eren ! " said Sasha, still hugging him. She seemed in high spirit.

Connie grumbled.

" Hum, guys, what’s going on ? " asked Eren.

" You just made me win 40$ " smiled Sasha. _What ?_

" Dude, couldn’t you get Levi’s number sooner ? I trusted you better ! You let me down on this one ! " groaned Connie. Sasha let him go and laughed. Understanding made it through :

" You bet on the day I would get his number ? "

" Yeah " replied the idiot couple at the same time. Then Sasha explained : " Connie bet you would get it the first week, while Marco bet you would get it next week and Ymir bet you wouldn’t get it in a month "

What ? How little faith did she had on him ? Well, at least most of his friends believed in him. The though made him smile.

" Glad I could help you, Sash " he winked.

She started laughing again, waving the bills in front of Connie while his lover put his head on his hands and groaned.

 

When he got back home after uni, he was so happy he almost envisaged cleaning the dead screen of his living room. _Almost_. Instead, he got to lie on his bed and pulled his cellphone out of his pocket. Before anything, he needed to find a song to assigned as Levi’s ringtone. That kept him thinking a long time. Two weeks earlier, he would have looked for something intriguing and sexy. But, as time passed, he got more and more infatuated with the raven. The man was sexy as hell, obsessed about cleanliness, exuded power, but when you passed upon the walls, he was also shy and rather attachant. Levi was a walking paradox. A very attractive one. Eren finally picked _Fugazi_ by _Shut the door_ for now. He would change it when he happen to know Levi better. Once the ringtone settled, he opened a new text :

 

_Tuesday, 8:37 pm : ’Hey Captain Levi ! How was your day ?’_

 

Much to his surprise, his phone buzzed almost instantly :

 

**‘Shitty as usual. Don’t make me loose my time, brat !’**

 

_‘Then I will go straight to the point, want to grab diner sometime ?’_

 

This time, the reply took several minutes to come. Eren could picture the older man hesitating.

 

**‘Depends. Are we talking about shitty greasy student food ?’**

 

_‘Nope, we’re talking about you and me eating whatever will please you and having a good time :)’_

 

**‘Shitty brat’**

 

_‘Is that a yes ?’_

 

**‘Friday, 8 pm, Chinese restaurant next to the mall’**

 

_‘Can’t wait ! :):)’_

 

**～～～～～～**

 

Days passed in a daze. Armin kept making comments about him being high spirited ‘ _sure, for no reason_ ’, while his other friends joked about his ‘ _goofy fan boy face_ ’. Eren would just smile wider. The best moment was on Thursday morning, when Levi payed his regular morning visit to the coffee shop.

Even his coworkers could see the shyness behind the awkward behavior of the raven. He came in, put money on the counter, not bothering to word his order anymore, then almost ripped the drink of Eren’s hand before awkwardly nodding and rushing for the door. Some customers were shocked and asked the college boy if he was okay, only to be met with a smiling ear-to-ear young man in a daze.

 

On Friday morning, Eren found it very difficult to pay attention to his classes and ended playing tic-tac-toe with Jean. He hadn’t tell any of his friends about his date, but somehow, they seemed to know about it — another guess of Armin smarty pants, surely. 

 

At noon, they gathered at the local cafeteria to eat their lunch, and his crapy friends took the chance to force informations out of him. He resisted as long as he could and could have get through it if it wasn’t for Armin. Eventually, he let them know he had a date with Levi planned on the evening.

" Oooooooow "  sang playfully the idiot couple while Armin grinned at him.

Jean, being the horseface bastard he is, didn’t miss a chance : " OMG, Yeager, you have a date with the violent midget ? Didn’t know you were into S/M kinks. Thought, that shouldn’t surprise me knowing you, you suicidal bastard ! "

" Shut up, horseface ! At least I have a date ! Tell me, when do you intend to ask your long crush out ? " replied Eren.

" I don’t know what your talking about, Yeager, don’t change the subject, just assume your weird kinks ! " said Jean, with his face going a little red.

" Come on Jean, hold your horses and be a man ! We all know you have a crush on Marco since first year of college ! How about you do something about it instead of making fun of others, you coward ? " replied Eren, a little angry.

" Shut it, bastard ! At least I don’t have a crush on a crazy dude who can’t sit on a fucking chair before cleaning it with disinfecting wipes ! " shouted back Jean.

 

Both stood up at the same time, grabbing the other by the collar. This could have get ugly if their friends weren’t used to Eren and Jean breaking on silly fights. Without a word, Sasha and Connie grabbed Jean’s arms while Armin stood in front of Eren, hands on the taller boy chest. After two minutes of tense silence, Jean went back to sit while Eren exited the cafeteria, followed by Armin.

" Eren … "

" Save it Armin, I’m not in the mood for one of your lecture ! " shouted the brunette.

Armin closed his mouth, looking hurt. Eren paced several minutes on the grass before feeling the adrenaline falter. He felt bad for taking it out on his best friend and faced Armin : " Armin, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that ".

Armin looked sadly at him : " Thank you. I don’t want to lecture you Eren, it’s just that you’re my friend and I care about you. I’m worried, too. I’m worried seing you angry all the time. I know you’re a good person Eren, and that’s what worries me the most. Not that you hurt someone, but that each time, you end hurting yourself. It saddens me to watch you, day after day, pushing the people you love away. « 

 

Eren felt like he had been thunderstruck. He remained silent, watching the concerned blue eyes pointed at him. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know if he wanted to say something. They both knew what was the real subject here, and Eren didn’t want to talk about it. For nearly thirteen years he had avoided the topic, putting it carefully in a locked box on his mind, and bursting in rage when someone tried to open it. Eren understood his friends wanted to help him, but that angered him every time. He knew they meant well, but they didn’t understand. They couldn’t understand, and their constant attempt to have him overcome what was in the box hurt him. No, he didn’t want to talk about this.

Without a look for his best friend, he turned back and headed home. Armin didn’t try to stop him.

 

**～～～～～～**

 

The second he arrived home, he rushed in the shower, trying to cool his nerves with cold water. When it felt like the box was securely locked again in a corner of his mind, he stepped out and went to choose his clothing for the evening. He picked dark slim jeans and a white shirt that contrasted nicely with his golden tanned skin. He left the first two buttons opened and passed on a key necklace Mikasa had offered him for his nineteenth birthday. He still had five hours left until his date, so he figured he could as well work on his ancient history assignment. He sat at his desk and opened his laptop.

 

**～～～～～～**

 

It was 7:45 pm and Eren was waiting anxiously in front of the Chinese restaurant. Should he get in ? Did Levi expected him to meet him inside or in front of the restaurant ?

Eren grabbed his cellphone and was about to text the older man when a velvety voice sound beside him : " Oi, brat, glad to see you’re on time ! ".

Eren looked on his left to met with a more attractive than usual Levi. The raven was wearing a grey v-neck sweatshirt which didn’t left much to the imagination, and dark combat boots on dark jeans. A black leather jacket was hanging casually on his left shoulder. Eren almost drooled at the sight.

 

" Oi, quit staring and let’s go inside, brat ! It’s fucking freezing ! " complained the raven.

Eren gulped and nodded, following Levi in the restaurant. They were welcomed by a petite red head with honey eyes and a nice smile : " Welcome to the _canard laqué_ , my name is Petra, I will be your waitress tonight. A table for two I presume ? "

Levi nodded and Petra installed them on a booth near the front window. She kept smiling and managed not to show to much surprise when Levi pulled disinfecting wipes of his jacket and started to wipe his chair. Once both were sat facing each other, Petra handed them menus and asked them if they wanted to drink something. They both ordered a beer and Petra left them to purchase their drinks.

Levi remained silent, staring at Eren with his blank mask on, arms crossed on his chest. Eren could sense the uneasiness of the older man and choose to break the silence. He planned on greeting the raven, perhaps asking him about his day, but something completely different passed his lips :

" Hum, you’re really hot ". _What the fuck ? Hormones, be damned !_ Eren felt his face blush and stared awkwardly at his empty plate. _Really smooth, Eren ! Way to ruined your —_

His attention was dragged back at the sound of Levi chuckling gently in front of him.

" You have no filters, do you ? " asked Levi with a glint of amusement.

" I wish you were the first to point that out " grinned back Eren.

Levi snorted and seemed to relax a little. Eren took the chance :

" I know you don’t like to waste time, so how about this ? Let’s play the one hundred questions game ! "

" Wasn’t it twenty one questions ? "

" Yeah, but there is a lot I want to know about you " replied Eren.

" Cocky little shit " grumbled Levi.

" Is that a yes ? " smiled Eren.

" How about we start by choosing our meal ? " dead-panned Levi.

Eren made an adult disappointing face — ok, he pouted — then insisted :

" Okay, but after, the questions thing ! "

" We’ll see " smirked Levi while opening his menu.

Eren hid his smile behind his own. Petra was back not long after with two beers, then took their orders. She left with a smile and Eren faced Levi.

" So, what are you doing as a living ? " asked the younger man.

Levi took a long sip of his beer, then a second one, then a third one, his gaze never leaving Eren’s eyes.

Then he put back his glass on the table and, finally, replied in a flat tone : " I’m an accountant ".

Eren blinked twice, surprised.

" What ? "

" Nothing, I guess I never pictured you as an office worker " replied honestly Eren.

Levi snorted and asked : " My turn. How old ? "

" I will be 24 in March, you ? "

" I hit 33 last December. You’re a student ? "

" Yeah, I’m majoring in history, want to be a teacher. If you could choose between flying and being invisible ? "

" Invisible, this way, I could avoid Hanji "

The answer was immediate and took Eren by surprise. He liked to ask unlikely questions when he got to know someone, but it seemed like destabilizing Levi would be harder than he thought.

" My turn " grinned Levi " How did you found you were attracted to dudes ? ".

_Okay, two can play that game. You’re gonna regret this one Levi._

" When we were fifteen, my friends and I went to watch Thor at the cinema. Let’s just say half-movie I ended in the bathroom, jerking at the sight of a shirtless Chris Hemsworth "

Levi chuckled and, even if Eren loved that sound, he was sure his cheeks were darker than red.

" Okay Levi, what was the dumbest thing you ever did ? "

" Agreeing to go on a date with you " dead-panned the raven. Eren groaned.

" Come on, I answered honestly ! "  pouted Eren.

" Fine ! One night when we were seventeen, Hanji and I got so drunk we couldn’t remember the digicode to open the door of Hanji’s apartment complex. We spent about thirty fucking minutes typing the wrong code, then we got impatients and _someone_ must had thought blowing the door with dynamite like they do in cartoons was a great idea. So shitty glasses and I ended lightning fucking firecrackers next to the door. I don’t fucking know why the four eyes was wandering around with firecrackers in her shitty purse, but next thing we know, the firecrackers set the door on fire and some neighbors called the firemen and the police. Since none of our shitty guardians picked up the phone, shitty glasses and I spent the night in fucking jail !! Worst thing is that the next morning, when we sobered and tried to explain ourselves to some shitty policeman, we realized that we used the right code, we just fucking were trying to open the wrong door !! "

 

Eren bursted in laugher, so hard he almost fell of his chair. It took him several minutes to catch his breath, and just when he was going to talk, Petra appeared at their table with their order. She put the plates in front of them, watching with a hint of curiosity the brunette wiping tears from his eyes, the older man looking suspiciously happy with himself. She wished for them to enjoy their meal and left the booth.

 

" OMFG ! " Eren was still giggling " that’s so good ! That doesn’t surprise me coming from Hanji but you ? Please tell me the cartoon thing was your idea ? "

" No comment " replied Levi.

The tone was flat and bored but Eren didn’t miss the playful glint in the grey-blue stormy eyes. Eren stopped giggling at the sight and swallowed rather discreetly. Or not, if he judged by the smirk pointing on the older man lips. Whatever, Eren was really enjoying himself. They started to eat, and kept talking, the conversation maintaining itself rather smoothly. Eren talked about his friends and Levi talked about Hanji and some Erwin guy who appeared to be his friend/boss. Levi didn’t use the word ‘friends’, mentioning them as ‘annoying acquaintance’ of his, but the way he talked about them, the younger man could tell he really liked them.

 

Then Petra came with their desserts and they switched to subject like the food they like (Eren discovered Levi had surprisingly a sweet tooth) or their favorite books and places to relax.

With Petra and coffees came two fortune cookies. Eren picked one first and cracked it opened, unfolding the little message. He read it and burst out laughing. Levi arched a brow :

" What is it brat ? "

" It says : shame on you for thinking a cookie is a psychic " managed to reply Eren between two laugh. To his surprise, he was soon joined by Levi. The man’s laughter was less louder than Eren’s, but rich and deeper. It sent shivers along Eren’s spine and his laughter died in his suddenly dry throat. Levi didn’t seem to notice as he reached for the second cookie and cracked it opened. He unfolded the little piece of paper, then started to read out loud :

" You need a mint. Like, bad ! ", then frowned.

This time, Eren fell of his chair for good. He ended sitting on the floor, cackling like and idiot, while Levi put on his blank face and started drinking his coffee like nothing happened. A good two minutes later, Eren, with the help of Petra kindly reminding him he was in a restaurant, got back on his seat and looked at Levi.

" OMG, you’re sulking ! " grinned the college student.

" Shut the fuck up, I’m not ! " groaned Levi.

Eren smiled fondly : " You totally are. You’re so cute Levi !! " 

 

The words escaped him before he could thought. As soon as they crossed his lips, for the third time this night he got red, looking sheepishly at a very surprised raven. They fell silent, awkwardly drinking their coffee. Once finished, they both simultaneously reached for the check. Levi stared back at Eren but the younger man was already immune against the raven’s death glare.

" Let go, shitty brat " said Levi, tone dangerous.

" No, I was the one to ask you, I’m paying ! " was Eren stubborn reply.

" I choose the fucking place, I pay ! You can pay next time. " stated Levi.

Eren smiled and let go of the check : " So, there will be a next time ? "

" I didn’t say that, you little shit " said Levi, the corner of his mouth up in a tiny smile.

Eren just leaned on his chair, happily contemplating the smile of the older man and, as Levi walked his way to the counter, the way his ass looked really hot on those tight jeans. God, he had it bad !

Levi payed and they both handed to the door, thanking Petra for the evening.

 

They both stood awkwardly in front of the restaurant, until Levi broke the silence :

" Oi brat, want a ride home ? "

" Really ? Thank you ! " immediately answered a beaming Eren.

The brunette had be looking for reason to stay a little longer with the raven. Levi simply nodded, a discreet smirk on his lips as he took Eren to a black — and very cleaned — Mercedes. They got in the car and Eren gave him his address. As Levi turned the key, the first notes of a song started playing on the car. Eren didn’t know it but recognized the group as _Depech Mode_. Levi looked briefly in his direction and said : "  _Lilian_  "

" What ? "

" The title of the song : _Lilian_  ".

No awkwardness remained as they both fell silent, enjoying the song together. They arrived two songs later, too soon for Eren’s taste, and Levi parked in front of the house. Eren looked sheepishly at the older man : " Hum, I had a really good time tonight, thank you Levi ! ".

Levi stared at him enough time to have the college student fidget on his seat, then he suddenly leaned forward, stopping few inches appart of Eren’s lips.

" My pleasure, brat " said the raven in a deep voice, before closing the distance.

 

For a second, Eren forgot to breath. He felt Levi’s lips gently brushing his own and heating waves crossed his body from head to toes. Then he started kissing back, moving timidly. At first, the kiss was hesitant and sweet, but it quickly grew more needy as Levi’s hand cupped the younger man’s cheeks. Eren moaned and grabbed the front of Levi’s shirt, asking for more. With his other hand, he caressed lightly the back of the raven’s head, fingers running through the black silky hair.

Then, Levi gave him a last peck on the lips, slightly increasing the pression of his hands on the brunette’s jaw before letting go.

The raven went back on his seat, slight pink on his cheeks, a tiny smile on his lips. He looked at the younger man, cheeks darker than red, panting on his seat. The tiny smile turned in a cocky grin and he spoke in a deliberate low voice, detaching each syllable :

" Bye brat ! Hope you have good dreams tonight "

Eren cheeks darkened even more and he got out of the car before making a fool out of himself.

Before shutting the door, in leaned on the car one last time and smiled at the raven : " Good night Levi "


	6. Silent raven and Drunk captain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> where Eren discovers the effect of alcohol on Levi ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Guys !!
> 
> Again, thanks a lot for the nice comments and all the kudos !! 
> 
> More than 60 kudos !! I feel so loved right now :)
> 
> Here is the new chapter, hope you like it !
> 
> I wish you all a great week guys !!
> 
> Enjoy XD

Eren felt like he was on cloud nine. He unlocked his front door, kicked his shoes off on the hallway and crashed on the couch. He was so excited he would probably have troubles falling asleep. Not that he cared. This was the best night he had had in a long time. He felt light and was truly happy. He hoped Levi was in a similar state.

 _Thinking of whom …_ Eren grabbed his cellphone and opened a new text :

 

_Friday, 23:34 pm : ‘Hey Levi ! I hope you got home safely ? I really had a good time tonight, thanks again ! See you tomorrow at the shop ?’_

 

He pressed send and put his phone on the coffee table. Then he grabbed the remote control of the tv to change his mind, only to point it at the empty spot in front of the couch.

_Right, dead tv on the floor …_

Eren sighed and went to the entrance door. He quickly put on his shoes and opened the door, then he got back to the living room and cautiously picked the dead screen fromthe floor, before throwing it on the trash in front of the house. It took him a second journey to throw the remaining broken glass.

 

Once back on the couch, he checked his phone. There was no reply of Levi. He started to panic. He shouldn’t have send the text, it sounded too demanding ! God, they broke appart less than one hour ago and he was already on Levi’s back. _Good job, Eren !_

He put his head on his hands and groaned. He didn’t even had a tv to change his mind, and his laptop was on his room, on the first floor. Eren was busy considering if he would rather get up and go fetch his laptop or stay self-pitying on the couch, when his cellphone buzzed. Holding his breath, the brunette unlocked the screen and opened the text.

 

**Saturday, 00:02 pm : ’Me too. See you tomorrow, night brat’**

 

Eren’s smile was so large it hurt. He would definitely not get any sleep tonight. He scrolled among his contact list and pressed Mikasa’s name. It rang twice before he could hear the usual worry tone of his friend :

 

" Eren ! Are you in trouble ? Are you okay ? "

" What ? Of course I’m okay ! Why would I—" 

_Oh, yeah, 00:11 pm._

_"_ Hum, sorry Mika ! I didn’t check the time before calling you … I’m fine, just wanted to chat a little. God, I hope I didn’t wake you up ? "

" Nah, it’s okay " was the relieved reply, " I was just reading. So, what’s new ? "

" Same old, same old. And you ? "

" Come on Eren, I talked to Armin earlier … "

Eren tensed. He was so happy about his date he had forgotten about the incident with Armin.

" Eren ? Can you hear me ? "

" Yes … " reluctantly replied the brunette.

" No need to hide it. You knew that I would find out eventually. I’m not saying you shouldn’t date anybody. Just let me know who he is so I can know who I have to kill if he hurts you !! "

 _Wait, what ?_ _Oh, she had heard about Levi. Those traitors !!_

Though Eren was a little disappointed, he was relieved she wasn’t talking about the Armin thing. He sighed and answered : 

" Okay, slow down karate kid ! I know you want to protect me but relax, Levi’s a great guy ! "

" Oh, so his name is Levi. What else do you know about him ? " demanded Mikasa with authority.

" So you can google him ? No way ! " chose to reply Eren.

That was probably less dangerous than admitting he didn’t knew Levi’s last name. Mikasa groaned.

" But " he added before she could argue, " I can tell you that we had a date tonight and it was really great ! "

" I’m glad to hear it. Where did you go ? « 

Eren could hear she was smiling. He shifted in a more comfortable position on the couch, then started to tell her about his date.

 

**～～～～～～**

 

As usual, the alarm went of early. Last night, Eren kept talking for one hour with Mikasa, then didn’t manage to fall asleep before two in the morning. He only had three hours of sleep, but he couldn’t care less. He woke up with a big smile, then lost ten precious minutes on the bathroom in a vain attempt to tame his hair. Eren winced at the mirror. _Whatever, Levi didn’t seem to care._

He finished to get ready and got on his way, walking faster to make up for the lost time in the unsuccessful war with his hair. He arrived right on time and grinned at the twins behind the counter.

" Hello Eren ! " said Marco " You look happy this morning "

" Yeah Eren ! " continued Ymir, " Did _something_ happened ? "

Both were waiting for a reply, Ymir waving suggestively her brows, Marco smiling, apparently happy for him. Eren was more than happy to indulge :

" Yes ! My date with Levi was really great ! We went to a Chinese restaurant and —" 

" Come on Eren-boy ! Skip to the part where Levi and you have crazy sex in his car, will you ? " cut him Ymir.

" What ? We didn’t ! "

" Oh, so not in the car ? My bad. Behind the restaurant ? " grinned Ymir.

" Ymir, please " sighed Marco.

" We didn’t do anything you pervert ! It was our _first_ date ! " shouted Eren.

" Wow, I never pictured you as the prude type ! Will you get some on the third date or will Levi have to wait for your wedding night ? " laughed Ymir.

" Wow " replied Eren, using the same tone " I never pictured Christa as someone who will have sex on their first date, I guess appearance can be misleading, huh ? 

" Watch it Yeager ! " said Ymir angrily " You better leave Christa out of this ! "

Before Eren could answer, Marco stepped between the two of them and tried to sooth them : 

" Guys, let’s calm down. Eren, I’m sure my sister didn’t meant to hurt you, you know she as a rather unique sense of humor … and Ymir, even if you’re joking, it’s better not to say things you don’t want to be told, don’t you think ? "

" Huh, fair enough. Sorry Eren " said Ymir, rather reluctantly.

" Yeah, sorry ", grumbled Eren.

Marco smiled at them. The man was to sweet for their own good.

The three friends fell into a comfortable silence, only to jump at the sound of a deep, bored voice coming from behind them :

" Can I have my tea now ? "

" God Levi ! Don’t startle us like that ! " said Eren, hand on his heart.

" I wouldn’t startle you if you were doing your job properly, brats" dead-panned Levi.

" Hum, sorry " said bashfully Marco before heading to his spot behind the counter. Ymir followed him, grumbling something about silent midgets and buying door bells.

Eren leaned upon Levi, elbows on the counter and bashful smile on the lips :

" G-good morning Levi " stuttered the brunette.

" Morning brat " replied Levi, leaning closer, "had some good time last night ? "

" Huh, what ? "

"You look like shit ! I figured you stayed up all night fantasizing about me ", smirked the raven.

Eren was redder than a tomato : " D-did not ! "

"Too bad " replied Levi, voice low, " I fucking did ".

Before Eren could process what Levi said, the older man grabbed him by his collar, pulling him close, and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

Forget tomatoes, Eren’s cheek were eggplants color now. Levi stood back and stared at him.

" Oi, brat ! Quit dreaming and make my fucking tea already ".

The tone was bored but the eyes were shinning with amusement.

" Yes, captain ! " said Eren, giving the raven a playful salute before hurrying to prepare his drink.

Two minutes later, Eren was handing Levi a large cup of fuming tea, whereas Levi silently stared at him.

" Well … " said Eren, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck, " would you like to do something tonight ? I mean, just the two of us ? Hum, well, if you don’t have plans, and if you want of course … "

" I can’t tonight ".

As Eren’s face fell, Levi quickly added " I have to go drinking with Shitty glasses while she will fucking interrogate me about you "

Eren was confused : " Then why are you going ? "

Levi scowled : " Cause she is blackmailing me ".

Levi’s expression was a perfect mix of agacement and despair. Eren couldn’t help a giggle. Levi’s expression darkened :

" Oi ! Stop laughing, shitty brat, unless you want me to drag you with me tonight ? Then we will see if you still find it funny ? "

Eren’s laughter died in his throat and he quickly try to change the subject.

" Hum, can’t you just wait for her to be drunk ? Then you will be fine, huh ? "

Levi smirked : " I would rather wait for the end of the world brat ! Better never get into an alcohol contest with the shitty glasses ! "

Eren was about to reply when a family entered in the coffee shop. As he welcomed them, he saw Levi heading to the door without looking back. He felt his stomach clench … Had he said something ?

As he forced a business smile on his face, his cellphone buzzed in his back pocket. He quickly finished making the order, then grabbed the phone. He had a new message from Levi.

 

**Saturday, 07:26 am : ’Tomorrow, 7:30 pm, movie theater ?’**

 

_‘Yes, captain :):)’_

 

His next customers were greeted with a blinding smile.

 

**～～～～～～**

 

Eren was sitting on the couch, laptop on his thighs. He had came home earlier, eager to crash on the living room in front of any stupid tv show he could catch after a busy day at work, only to be remindedthat it actually required to have a tv.

Thought the brunette was now surfing on the web, looking for a not-to-expensive tv screen. As he kept looking, he heard a small knock on the front door. He stood up, carefully placing the laptop in the coffee table, before heading to the door. Armin was standing there, holding a pizza box, a shy smile on the lips : " Hey Eren, hum, I thought that maybe you would be hungry ? "

He spoke carefully, as if he was afraid Eren would get angry and lash at him. Eren felt guilty and smile at his best friend : " Thanks Ar ! Come in ! "

Armin seemed relieved and entered, following him to the living room. Eren sat on the couch and made room on the coffee table for his friends to set the pizza box. Then, Armin sat next to him and was about to say something when he suddenly froze.

" What ? " asked Eren.

" Hum, didn’t you had a tv here ? ", he said, pointing at the empty space in front of the couch.

" Huh, yeah … it’s broken. It fell while I was cleaning the place the other day " lied Eren.

The following silence was really uncomfortable for both of them. Finally, Armin sighed :

" Look Eren, I’m not going to say anything, and I understand you don’t want to talk about it, but could you stop giving me such obvious lies ? How long do you think we have been friends ? "

Eren felt ashamed of himself and reply slowly "Yes, sorry".

Armin smiled at him and leaned over to open the pizza box. Eren’s mouth started to water at the sent of beef and pepperoni. _God, Armin knew him well !_

Armin looked at him, a mischievous glimpse in the eyes, and said : " I said I brought pizza but I didn’t say it was free ".

The blonde boy watched the surprise spread on Eren’s face and smirked " But, I’m willing to trade some slices of this _delicious_ pizza for, hum … How about the details of your last night date ? "

 

Eren laughed and grabbed a slice : " Fine ! What do you want to know ? "

As Armin started questioning him, Eren thought of Levi, probably doing the same thing with an overexcited Hanji. Somehow, as cheesy as it sound, knowing that both of them were doing the same thing at the same time was kind of cute.

 

**～～～～～～**

 

Eren was on his stomach, lying on his bed when the buzzes woke him up. He grumbled and looked at the clock on his nightstand. _0:47 a.m_.

Whoever was the fucker sending him messages at this time better be dying ! Eren grabbed angrily his phone and unlocked the screen. There were messages from Levi.

 

**Sunday, 00:46 am : ’Eren, are you sleeping ?’**

**’Ereeeeeen ?’**

**’Oi Eren ! Answer, you little shit !’**

**’naa, sorry, your no shit, your cute’**

**’like honey’**

**’honeeeeeeey, you here ?’**

 

 _OMG !_ Casual Levi was adorable, but drunk Levi was even better ! _Thank you alcohol !_

 

_‘Hey Levi ! Let me guess : u lost an alcohol contest against Hanji ? :p’_

 

**’Yes, but Hanji is fucking drunk too … it’s so funny ! And scary … Why aren’t you here ? Come here honey !!’**

 

_‘I’m gonna pass, I have a long day at work tomorrow, and a date with an attractive man after that :)’_

 

**’What ? Your cheating on me ?!!’**

 

_‘…’_

 

**’Aaah, it’s me ? Yeah, your attractive too’**

 

Eren was grinning dumbly at his cellphone. Levi treated him like his boyfriend. Then, a sudden thought popped on Eren’s head : was perhaps Levi one of those wonderful honest drunks ?

 

_‘Really ? What part do you like better ?’_

 

**’Your fucking eyes and your ass’**

 

Eren was glad nobody could see him as he felt his cheeks darkened.

 

_‘What ? Only my body ?’_

 

**’Nah, I like the way you are. Like, when sometimes you look confident and try to pick me up with shitty movie puns, and next times you’re all red and cute like a fucking puppy.’**

 

_‘OMG Levi !’_

 

**’Like now, I’m sure you’re all red and cute for me, aren’t you brat ?’**

 

_‘Stop !’_

 

**’Send me a pic !’**

 

‘No way !’

 

**’Come on brat !’**

 

_‘No’_

 

**’Send me a pic or I’m coming right now to take it myself !’**

 

So, not only honest, but demanding drunk too apparently ….

Eren sighed and took a selfie. His hair looked worst than usual and his face was as red as Levi hoped. Eren considered taking a better one but he was afraid drunk and probably-not-so-patient Levi would carry out his threat. He sighed again and reluctantly sent the raven a selfie of himself in his Harry Potter pajama. He didn’t wait long for the answer.

 

**’Fuck ! Only you can look hot in gryffindor pjs !’**

 

_‘Well, thanks but I have to sleep now’_

 

**’That’s okay, I got what I needed for tonight ;)’**

 

_‘OMG, Levi !’_

 

**’Yes, better get used to screaming that brat !’**

 

_‘I’m going to sleep now !’Good night pervy Captain !_

 

**’Night brat’**

 

_‘And, Levi ?’_

 

**’What ?’**

 

_‘For what it’s worth … I like you to :)’_

 

**’Go to sleep, brat’**


	7. Date movie and Broken box

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Eren and Levi go to a date movie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys !!
> 
> I'm sorry this chapter comes really late, I had some serious health issues and just recovered recently ...
> 
> Just a little warning here, this chapter has some angst and hurt ... I hope you like it anyway.
> 
> As always, don't hesitate to point errors =)
> 
> Enjoy XD
> 
> ps : thank you sooo much for the comments and the kudos, I really needed that.  
> Thank you guys, love you :)

The next day went painfully slow for the brunette. As usual, he had woken up at the ass crack of dawn and got to work. He had troubles staying awake since he barely managed to get more than six hours of sleep on the last two days. Luckily for him, serving customers while keeping an eye on Sasha to keep her from stealing food helped a lot.

Since the big muffins break-in of last November, Connie and him learned to never leave her alone with food. It meant one of them had to stay at the counter whereas the other had to watch the supplies on the back. That was hard but that kept them occupied on dead hours.

 

That morning, Levi didn’t come to the shop. Eren found it more funny than concerning. The raven was probably hung-overed on his bed or really ashamed. Either way, Eren couldn’t wait to see him later.

On his break, he pulled out his cellphone to text the older man :

 

_Sunday, 13:46 pm : ’Time to wake up sleeping captain !’_

 

**’Shut up!’**

 

_’You seem grumpy today. I wonder why ?’_

 

**’Feel like shit, head hurts’**

 

_’Hoo, don’t worry captain, this cute honey will cheer you up tonight :)’_

 

**’Cocky little shit today, aren’t we ?’**

 

_’Just try not to loose yourself too much in my beautiful eyes and, maybe, enjoy the movie a little ? XD’_

 

**’The fuck ?’**

 

_’Scroll up :)’_

 

**’…’**

 

_’Captain ? :)’_

 

**’No’**

 

_’Captaaaaain’_

 

**’Hell no !!!!’**

 

_’Leviiiiiiiiiiiii’_

 

**’Shut the fuck up brat ! I have a pic of you wearing fucking harry potter pjs !’**

 

_’Oh don’t be embarrassed sweetheart’_

 

**’You call me that ever again and I’ll fucking choke you’**

 

_’ANYWAY, can’t wait to see you tonight :)’_

 

**’…me too’**

 

_’:):)’_

 

**’Stop that’**

 

_’:):):):):):):):):):)’_

 

**’Get to work, you lazy ass !’**

 

_’Yes captain!’_

 

Eren got back to work soon after, giggling like an highschool girl. Connie stared at him with curious eyes but couldn’t push further as he caught the sight of his lover trying to sneak in the supplies room. Eren giggled even more, watching Connie lifting a reluctant Sasha from the floor and dragging her to the staff room. Then he heard someone discreetly clearing their throat and focused back on the customers.

 

**～～～～～～**

 

The afternoon was busier than expected and Eren left his work late. He rushed to the movie theater and arrived five minutes late, his gaze quickly grabbing the sight of a scowling raven. Eren swallowed nervously. He looked paler than usual with big bags under his eyes, but even then, Levi was handsome. So handsome he didn’t go unnoticed. Slightly jealous, the brunette quickly headed to Levi before the blond jerk eyeing his ass decided to make a move.

Levi turned his head in Eren’s direction as he heard him and his frowned brows slightly relaxed.

" You’re fucking late " he dead-panned.

Eren, feeling courageous — and that really hadn’t anything to do with him wanting to repel some blonde jerk — smiled and leaned to kiss Levi on the cheek.

" Sorry, work was a bitch today "

Levi shifted, not fast enough to hide his red ears, and grumbled :

" Whatever, what movie do you want to watch ? "

" How about Aquaman ? "

" Fine " replied Levi, too quickly.

Eren smiled. _You really wanna watch it, don’t you ?_

They headed to the front desk and Eren handed his credit card before Levi could argue, buying them two movie tickets.

" Do you want to grab something to eat ? " asked Eren.

Levi looked like Eren had just ask him to lick the floor :

" No way in hell ! Do you know how many fucking bacterias there must be in here ? "

Eren giggled and replied : " Suits yourself, I’m buying popcorn "

Levi grumbled some more about disgusting habits but followed him to the treats counter. Then they headed to the room, Eren setting on one seat of the last row. Levi stood still, examining carefully the seat next to Eren, then pulled something black out of his jacket. He unfolded it and cautiously draped it over the seat before sitting. Eren had troubles keeping himself from laughing. Levi turned his head to glare at him, making the garbage bag screech a little at the movement.

" What ? " asked Levi, tone dangerous.

" N-nothing " replied Eren, trying to disguise his giggles as coughing, " Anyway, who’s your favorite super hero ? "

" Batman " was the automatic reply.

" Why ? "

" Because Alfred sure knows how to keep his shit clean " answered Levi, in a very serious tone.

OMG, this man was too cute for his own good.

" You ? "

" Hum " thought Eren, " that would be Doctor Strange ".

Levi looked surprised : " Why ? "

" Because the man can literally teleport everywhere he wants. How awesome would it be to teleport in your favorite restaurant or bakery every time you’re hungry ?! " grinned Eren with excitement.

Levi laughed : " and teleport to your bathroom every time you need to take a shit ! "

Eren bursted in laughter : " or when you need to jack off ! "

" Yeah, speaking of which … you goin’ to be okay here ? Think you can handle shirtless Jason Momoa, brat ? " grinned Levi.

" I-I was fourteen ! " blushed Eren, " Besides, I would rather see _you_ shirtless "

" Smooth " snorted Levi, tone bored but ears as red as Eren’s cheeks.

Eren laughed shippishly, then asked : " How was your day ? "

" It was fucking shit ! First I was woken by a brat sending me dumb texts, then, when the fucking room stoped spinning I went to my kitchen to have some tea and found the shitty glasses naked and snoring like a fucking bear on my couch ! It took me fifteen fucking minutes to wake her up and about ten more to get her dressed !! When she finally left, I had to scrub the damn couch clean !! " replied Levi with a really disgusted look.

" Wait, she was _naked_ on your couch ? " said Eren. His chest felt suddenly heavy.

" Yeah " answered Levi, unfazed, " every time she’s drunk, she takes off her damn clothes … that’s one of the reasons why we fucking never let her drink alone in public ".

Eren giggled : " One of the reasons, what are the others ? "

" Hum … she always blackmailed one of us in coming with her … " said Levi, looking uncomfortable.

" Yes, you already said that ! I’m rather curious to know how she threatened you the other night ? " asked the younger man, smirking.

Levi frowned : " Nothing you need to know, shitty brat ! "

" Oh, come on ! I really want to know !! Please ? "

Eren decided to play dirty and used his best card : he slightly tilted his head to the side and gave the raven his best puppy eyes, the ones even Mikasa couldn’t resist. 

Levi arched a brow, then smirked : " How much do you want to know, _Eren_ ? "

_Huh, didn’t go has planned but that’s a start …_

" I really really want to know " tryed Eren.

" Well " said the raven, tone low " I guess I could tell you … granted that you deserve it that is "

Levi leaned over and slowly rested his hand on Eren’s forearm.

" Have you been a good boy Eren ? " purred Levi.

Eren gasped, Levi’s hand sending fire in his arm. He leaned unconsciously towards the raven and whispered a shy _Yes_.

" Hum … I don’t know if I can believe you " teased Levi, leaning even more toward the young man.

" Is there a way I can prove it to you ? " whispered Eren in a husky voice.

Levi closed the distance between them, his lips stopping mere inches from Eren’s. He looked smug, smirking at the younger man’s heavy breath. He whispered against his mouth :

" I can think of something actually …  I think…"

" Yes ? " said Eren, pupils narrowed.

" …maybe you could … "

"  _Yes ?_  " replied Eren, impatient.

" Well …no, nevermind ".

Levi smirked and sat back on his seat.

_WHAT.THE.FUCKING.FUCK ?_

" What.the.fucking.fuck ?!! " shouted Eren.

Levi arched a brow at him, looking amused : " Problem, brat ? "

" The hell was that ? " said a rather angry brunette.

" Well, I just remembered being in a relationship is about honesty, trust and all that shit, so I decided to fucking believe you " replied sarcastically Levi.

Eren was fuming, from embarrassement _and_ lust. He sat back harshly in his seat and crossed his arms, pouting : " Oh yeah ? That’s too bad ‘cause I fucking hate you right n—" 

Before he could finish his sentence, Levi yanked him by the collar and crashed their lips together roughly.Eren quickly recoverd from the shock and poured all his anger in the kiss. Levi wasn’t in rest and the two men grabbed each other like their life depended on it. Levi’s hold on his shirt deepened, bringing the brunette closer, while Eren grabbed the back of Levi’s head with one hand and slided the other one under the front of his shirt. Levi put his free hand on Eren’s back, sliding it slowly until it grabbed his ass. Eren moaned at the contact and Levi sliped his tongue on his mouth. The kiss was heated and demanding, both men battling for dominance.

Eventually, Eren broke the kiss to breath and Levi put their foreheads together. Eren breathed heavily, watching Levi. The raven looked smug, cheeks slighlty pink. The sight was almost too much for Eren. He bit his bottom lip, watching with satisfaction Levi’s eyes darken with lust.

Eren was about to kiss the raven when he heard someone awklawrdly clearing his throat behind him. The sound starteled them and they quickly turned to face a middle-aged man wearing the teater red uniform and looking at them with disapproving eyes.

" Hum, excuse me but I have to ask you to refrain from this kind of behavior. This is a public location " said the employee, looking uncomfortable.

Levi sighed loudly then sat back, looking bored. Eren, however, frowned and asked : 

" What do you mean ‘this kind of behavior’ ? We were just kissing and we are in the last row, we don’t bother anybody "

Levi looked at him and opened his mouth but the employee was quicker :

" I _mean_ that some people are here to enjoy a movie and not to watch you suck the face of another man, _kid_  "

"Well, since they are here to watch the movie, how about they look at the screen _in front_ of them rather than me sucking the face of my _boyfriend_ _behind_ them ? " replied Eren in a dangerous tone.

Levi put a hand on his knee : " Eren —" 

" Listen brat ! This is a movie theater, not an hotel ! Either you behave yourself, or you get the fuck out ! God, didn’t your mummy taught you some manners ? "

 

Eren snapped and lashed at the employee, tackling the man on the floor. He grabbed him by the collar and started to yell : " Shut the fuck up bastard !! Don’t you fucking dare tallking about her or I swear I will fucking kill you !! ".

 

He had trouble breathing, looking angrily at the fucker wriggling under him. God he wanted to destroy him !! He wanted to punch the asshole so hard he could no longer talk. He could vaguely hear scream around him but he didn’t care. From the corner of his eyes, he saw a security agent running toward him but, before he arrived, Eren was suddenly yanked behind in a strong embrace. He struggled, screaming curses, but the hold was just too powerful for him to break. Somehow, he heard words telling him to calm down in what seemed to be Levi’s voice, but he couldn’t care less. He just wanted to run to the fucker still lying on the floor and beat the crap out of him.

_They don’t understand, all of them !! Nobody understand !!_

The security guard shouted something and escorted them to the exit. Eren kept screaming curses all the way to the street. Once outside, the agent left them with ‘ _prohibition to ever come back_ ’ and Levi silently dragged him to his car.

Eren gradually calmed down and had stoped shouting and struggling by the time they reached the Mercedes. Levi left him and unloked the car, silently getting in. Eren briefly hesitated then got on the passenger seat. Levi started the car and drove them to Eren’s house. They both kept silent, Eren looking stubbornly in front of him, jaw and fists clenched.

Levi parked on Eren’s street and walked him to his house.

Still pissed, Eren intended on slamming the door on the older man but the raven was faster and forced his way inside, shutting the door behind him.

Eren was fuming : " The fuck you think you’re doing ? "

" My question exactly brat ! Want to explain what fucking happened ? "

" That’s not your business, get out !! " yelled Eren.

" No " replied simply Levi.

The older man looked calm and compose, as if Eren had just ask him if he wanted to have a drink.

The younger man’s eyes widened : " The hell ? GET THE FUCK OUT LEVI !! "

" No, not until you answer my question " dead-panned the raven.

 

That was it. _Levi didn’t understand, he refused to leave him alone. He was just like the others. They didn’t understand_. Eren snapped :

" Fuck you ! You want to know what happened ? You think you have the right ? You think you know everything ? That you’re smarter than me ? That you can tell me what I can do ? What I can feel ? How I should react ?!!! Well fuck you Levi ! You’re just like the others, always judging me without knowing anything !! You want to know ? Fine !! My mother died !! She died !! She had a fucking pancreatic cancer and died when I was ten years old, okay ??!! And my father lost it, the asshole slowly disappeared after that and left me alone. I don’t even know where he is ! The fucker just put some fucking money on my bank account every months and sometime come to the house, like once or twice a month. He doesn’t care about me. So yeah, I’m angry, my life suck and I’m fucking angry ‘cause my dad is an asshole and my mother is dead !! So fuck you ! Fuck you if you’re dissatisfied with me or think I should behave differently !! You’re just like the others, like my _friends_ , always telling me to calm down and all that shit !! But you still have parents !! You don’t fucking know, you don’t undertsand, you just fucking judge me !! Fuck you, all of you !! I have the right to be angry, okay !! And at least I’m not some kind of clean freak who can’t even sit on a fucking chair without wipping it down with disinfectant wipes !! "

Eren collapsed on the couch, breathing harsly, fists blank from clentching, tears of rage slowly making their way on his cheeks.

Levi reminded silent during his outburst, watching him intently without moving. When the brunnette sat on the couch, he took one step forward and said :

" Who said I still had parents ? "

Eren looked at him, dumbfounded. Levi continued, tone low and dangerous :

"Yes, I’m a fucking clean freak who can’t even sit on a chair without disinfecting it first. When I was five, my mother died from a stroke. I never knew my father, it was just my mother and I. One night she was alive, kissing me good night, the following morning she was dead on the kitchen floor. So your mom died when you was ten ? Guess what brat ? That’s twice the fucking time I had with my mother. I was too young to understand and too shoked, I just lied next to her, trying to wake her up. Time passed. Three days exactly. I stayed three fucking day lying next to my dead mother until the firemen broke the door because the smell alerted my neighbors. The fucking smell of my dead mother !! This fucking smell I can’t seem to get rid of, the smell of filth and death. What did you said, ‘at least I’m not a clean freak’, was it ? Yes, be glad kid. And, what ? Ah, yes ! Everybody judges you without knowing ? Remind you of someone, brat ? ‘Cause I think that’s just what you fucking did with me ! So your naughty friends have been putting up with you since you’re ten and trying to help you ? And you’re asshole of a father give you money every month ? Poor you ! Guess what ? I had nobody, no friends, no family. I just went throught six fucking fosters family until I was eighteen, then I had to work my ass to pay for my studies, and worked twice as hard to have scolarships. Then, I met Hanji and Erwin. So I get it, brat, your life suck ! But guess what ? You’re not the only one ! Everybody go through some shit, even your friends. Do you even know what could be wrong in their life ? You know what, right now, you’re just some angry brat throwing tantrums and lashing at other because you’re just too terrified to deal with your own shit. You’re just a fucking kid ! "

 

Eren was petrified. Horrified, he could only watch as Levi got out of the house without looking back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everybody okay ?


	8. Pain & Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Eren deals with the broken box ...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys !!
> 
> As always, thanks a lot for the comments and the kudos =)
> 
> Here is a new chapter, it's short but since I received several messages asking for it soon, I figured it wouldn't bother you too much :)
> 
> Some hurt in this one, but it gets better ;)
> 
> Hope you like it guy !!
> 
> Enjoy XD

Eren remained still, fixing the entrance door with wide eyes. After a moment, the burn is his lungs reminded him to breath. He was too shoked to process what happened. Somehow, he knew that he just fucked up big time.

 

 _Levi was gone. Levi had just left him_.

 

And he deserved it …because deep down, Eren knew it … He knew he didn’t deserve to be loved … He knew everybody will just leave him eventually, like his father, like his mother … He just didn’t understand why his friends stayed after so long, why someone like Levi would want to stay … Eventually they would all disappear from his side, leave him alone …

That’s why he didn’t want to get attached … It was better pushing them away before they realise he didn’t deserve them … Because Eren didn’t deserve to be loved.

 

Water drops fell on his tights. Eren looked at the ceiling, as if he expected to see rain. Then he felt it, water running across his cheeks. His fingers slowly followed the drops to his eyes … That’s when he realized he was crying. That’s when he finally lost it. The box he had carefully shut away fourteen years ago crumbled and exploded.

Fourteen years of sadness and hurt were suddenly released and it almost killed him. For several seconds, the shok caught his breath and he collapsed on the floor, holding his chest with both hands. That was too much to handle. The pain was so intense it got physical. He could feel the vivid pain in his chest as waves of pain and sorrow washed across his body.

Lying on his side, he couldn’t move. He breathed harshly, eyes closed, as all he could do was prey for it to stop. He couldn’t do anything. He couldn’t get angry or break something, like he used to do when the box threatened to open. Getting angry was so much easier. But he couldn’t anymore. There was no more box to hold his feelings down and all he could do was lying on the floor and cry.

 

He remembered it all. The day his mom went to the hospital because she was sick, hugging him warmly and telling him she loved him and that ‘everything is going to be okay’. But everything wasn’t.

 

He remembered, the day after, when his aunt went to fetch him at school with a sad smile, and told him her mother didn’t make it. He couldn’t, didn’t understand. What did that meant ? His mother wasn’t here anymore ? That didn’t make any sense, that was impossible, surely his mom will be home, waiting for him with a big smile and a warm hug. But when they had arrived home, she wasn’t.

 

He remembered asking for his parents, only for her aunt to give him a pitiful look and tell him that his mother was gone and his father was at the hospital, too sad to get home. He didn’t get to see his dad until three days later, the day of the funeral.

 

He remembered vividly that day. He was surrounded by adults dressed in black, giving him pitiful stares and whispering about him being ‘a poor kid’, as if he couldn’t hear them. He had heard people speaking about his mother, saying that she was in the little room on the left. The room where he wasn’t allowed to go. But Eren didn’t care, he didn’t understand why they would keep him from seeing her, so he had run to the door and open it before someone could stop him.

He remembered it very clearly. That moment. The moment he had looked upon the dead body lying in the coffin. At first he didn’t recognize his mom. Because surely there was a mistake. His mom wasn’t here. His warm, loving, smiling and full of life mom clearly wasn’t on this room.

There was only some sort of creepy wax model, with a pale and weak face, eyes closed. Then he had lowered his gaze and saw the blue dress. The blue dress of his mother. And it had hit him. He had understood. He had wanted to touch his mother when hands had yanked him away and shut the door. He had struggled and sreamed but the hands hadn’t let go.

That was the last time he saw his mother.

 

The following memories were blurry. He somehow remembered being sat on a bench in front of a closed coffin, probably too numb to pay attention, next to his sobbing father. His father hadn’t touch him or speak to him, not even once. He remembered feeling really cold. From this day on, the coldness hadn’t really go away.

 

He was crying on the floor, arms clenched so strongly around him it hurted. But it was nothing compared to the pain he was feeling. It hurted. It was to much.

 

_God, it hurts !! Someone, anyone, please, make it stop !_

 

**～～～～～～**

 

He had remained on the floor, unable to move, for what felt like hours. He had litteraly cried all his tears. The pain was still there but he couldn’t cry anymore, and his eyes and cheeks hurted. The silence was sickening and reminded him how alone he was, abandoned.

It reminded him he deserved it, and worst of all, he was alone because he had hurt _Levi_.

He was shaking, crying tearless sobs and hurting on the floor. Where he would probably die, alone, without anyone noticing. Not like he cared anymore. He just wanted the pain to stop.

 

The sound of the door opening broke the silence, quickly followed by foot steps. Two black combat boots entered his field of vision, then his owner got slowly on his knees, next to him.

 

 _Levi_.

 

The older man stared at him with a blank face then sighed. He stood up and got away. Eren whined, unable to speak, but soon after Levi was back, holding a blanket. Under the puzzled stare of the brunet, he took off his boots and carefully lied on the floor behind the younger man, drapping them both in the blanket. Eren could feel one strong arm being placed around his waist while the other hand was slowly caressing his hair. Levi remained silent, gently stroking his hair and holding him close.

Eren found he still had tears left after all …

 

**～～～～～～**

 

Eren was awakened by the rays of the sun. He blinked several times before opening his eyes with difficulty. They still hurted from the previous night. After one hour he had pass out from crying. Somehow, he must had shift during the night since he was now facing a toned chest.

 

 _Levi_.

The raven was sleeping with a peaceful expression, still holding him. _So beautiful_. And so nice. Levi had come back. He had come back after the horrors Eren had told him !!

Once again, tears found their way along Eren’s cheeks and the younger man nuzzled Levi’s warm chest. The movement must had woken the raven because Eren felt a hand gently stroking his back. Looking up, teary blue-green eyes were met with grey-blue ones.

They kept still, silently staring and bathing in the moment. Then Levi talked softly :

" Hey kid "

" Hey " replied Eren, voice hoarse.

" How about some tea and breakfast ? " whispered Levi.

 

Eren winced. Now that he thought about it he was hungry, but he didn’t want to leave Levi’s warm embrace. He sighed and nodded. Levi grabbed him by the waist and helped him sitting. He gently drapped the blanket around Eren’s shoulders then pull him up on his feet, holding him until Eren stoped wobbling.

Both man headed to the open kitchen and Levi mentioned a chair to Eren to sit on. Then he spent the following minutes opening and closing each cupboard, apparently making himself comfortable in Eren’s kitchen. The younger man looked at him, dumbfounded but too happy to ask questions.

 

 _If it’s a dream, I don’t want to wake up_.

 

Once acquainted with the kitchen, Levi rolled his sleeves up on his forearms, cleaned his hands, and started making them breakfast. Soon, delicious scent of fried eggs and bacon and tea filled the room. Eren’s mouth was already watering when Levi put a plate with eggs, bacon and pancakes in front of him, next to a cup of fuming tea. He sat next to him at the kitchen table and both men ate in silence.

 

Eren began with his tea, the hot beverage with honey soothing his hoarse throat. Then he took one bite of his meal and ended wolfing it down. He hadn’t realize just how hungry he was. Levi watched him with a tiny smile and kept eating his own meal.

Once his plate was empty, Eren clear his throat and looked shily at Levi : " Hum, Levi ? "

" Brat ? "

" T-thank you f-for … anything … and sorry. Hum, I’m, huh, sorry for what I said last night. "

 

Levi stared at him silently with his blank face, then whispered an ‘okay’ before turning his attention to his plate. 

 

Eren seemed to hesitate, then, staring at the table, asked sheepishly :

" Why did you come back ? "

Levi sighed and slowly put down his fork. He turned to the brunette and said :

" At first I didn’t intend to. You can understand my cleaning OCD is a sensible subject and you hurted me. But I ended doing just the same. You lashed at me and hurted me, so I lashed at you and said cruel things to you. And I understand what you’re going through. You cope with your anger just like I cope with cleaning. Like you, I used to hurt people around me, not letting them approach, when, in the end, I was just hurting myself. But we’re not the same. Years ago Hanji and Erwin helped me go through the loss of my mother and all my anger for what happened next. They were there for me when nobody was before. I’m still pretty fucked up but I’m better than I was years ago. Of course, the shitty glasses keep pestering me about going to therapy and all that shit …Anyway, I thought about it and I didn’t want you to face this alone … "

The raven mumbled the last words, suddenly looking shy, and Eren was breathless.

 

‘ _I didn’t want you to face this alone_ ’.

 

These words seemed to help a weight out of his chest for the first time in years. His friends had been there for him but he never allowed himself to trust them, always expecting them to leave him. But Levi … Levi had left, hurt _by_ Eren, and had still come back because he was worried _for_ Eren. It was probably very hard for Levi, making him go through his own memories, hurting him, but he was still here, worrying for Eren. Instead of lashing out at him, he was willing to use his own pain to help the younger man.

For the first time since his mother death, Eren felt warm, desired, loved. And it was overwhelming.

He threw himself in Levi’s arms, whispering " thanks " and " sorry " again and again between sobbs, until he finally fell asleep.

Levi held him close to his chest, without saying anything.

 

**～～～～～～**

 

He woke up on the couch. Levi was sitting on a love seat to his left, scrolling on his phone.

Eren stared at him silently, still unable to understand why this beautiful and truly wonderful man was willing to stay with him.

Then something Levi had said hit him : ‘ _in the end, I was just hurting myself’._

 

Eren thought he didn’t deserve to be loved, and didn’t understand why people stay with him. But if he was this sad about it, wasn’t it because … He still had hope ? Hope that someone will love him for who he was ? Accept him ?

He kept pushing everyone away to prevent being hurt, being abandoned, but by doing so, wasn’t he destroying his chance to find someone who could really love him ? Wasn’t he the one hurting himself ? Sure it was terrifying, and he never wanted to feel what he felt after the lost of his mother, of his father, but he remembered what he felt when Levi left because of him, and he sure as hell never wanted to feel that again neither !!

It was terrifying, but he would rather have his heart crushed by Levi than being the one to crush Levi’s heart and push him away. For the first time in years, Eren realized he would rather take the risk to being hurt than hurt someone else to protect himself.

The anger and the pain were still here. It would probably need more than just one night to sooth it away, but for once, Eren had hope. Hope he could get better, hope he could let it go.

 

Meeting Levi made him realize he wanted things. He wanted a real life, he wanted real bonds, he wanted to be happy, he wanted to enjoy himself without overthinking everything or fearing to be hurt …

He wanted to trust somebody, to be here for them and them to be there for him. He wanted to be free.


	9. Friendship & Faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Eren take some risks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys !!
> 
> Thanks a lot for the kudos (OMG 92 oO !!!!) and for the really lovely and helpful comments !! 
> 
> I love you guys !!!
> 
> Here is the new chapter before the last one and the epilogue.
> 
> I hope you like it, guys !!
> 
> Enjoy XD

Levi was looking at his phone, unaware of Eren’s stare. The brunette was deep in his thoughts, when the protest of his empty stomach startled them both. Levi looked at him with a tiny smile :

" Do you like fried rice with mushrooms ? "

Eren blinked and replied a rather confused ‘ _yeah_ ’. Levi’s smile grew wider then the raven stood up and disapeared in the kitchen. Two minutes later, he was back with a glass of water and a plate with what Eren guessed to be fried rice with mushrooms. The raven put them carefully on the coffee table and Eren sat on the floor, saying a quick ‘ _thanks_ ’ before digging the meal. It tasted like heaven in his mouth. Of course, it could be because he hadn’t ate for almost — Eren spared a quick glance at the clock hanging on the wall — an _entire day_. God, it was almost 8:30pm ! He looked sheepishly at Levi.

" I cooked some for lunch but you didn’t wake up. I figured you needed the sleep and ate earlier, I hope you don’t mind " said Levi.

" N-no, that’s okay. Thank you, that’s delicious ! " rushed Eren.

" Good "

Eren finished his meal while Levi sat on the couch, grabbing his phone to look through his mails. Eren was about to speak when they heard the entrance door open. A blond man with round blue eyes carefully walk in the living room.

" Armin ! " was Eren surprised greeting.

His friend look at them silently, taking in Eren’s red eyes and puffy cheeks, then his gaze turned to Levi :

" Levi, I presume ? " asked Armin.

Levi nodded, blank mask on. Armin spoke slowly, detaching each syllable :

" Did you do something to _my friend_ , Levi ? "

 

Oh god, Armin thought Levi had hurt him !

Before Eren could say anything, Levi nodded again :

" I made him fried rice with mushrooms " he dead-panned.

Armin’s eyes widdened, flashing with anger. He opened his mouth but was cut by Eren’s giggles. He looked at his friend, confused. The brunette was laughing, looking at a blank-faced-not-interested-looking-but-in-reality-sulking Levi. Armin’s gaze went to one man to the other, more and more confused.

" Eren ? " he tried.

Eventually, the brunette calmed down and said : " Huh, sorry Ar. Don’t worry, it’s okay ".

Eren sat on the couch, next to Levi, then went on : " Why are you here ? "

" You didn’t came to class today and never answered you phone ! I was worried something happened "

" Huh, yeah " replied sheepishly Eren, " hum, actually — WAIT ! What ? We’re monday ? Oh my god, Levi, shouldn’t you be at work ?" shouted Eren to the raven.

" I took a day off, ‘sent a text to Erwin this morning " grumbled Levi.

" Oh, hum, thanks " blushed Eren.

" Whatever "

 

Eren was ashamed. Once again, he had only thought about his own problems, forgetting that Levi had a life waiting for him. His thoughts were interrupted by his best friend awkwardly cleaning his throat.

" Huh, yeah, Armin,why don’t you sit down ? There is something I need to tell you … " 

Armin looked concerned and quickly sat on the loveseat : " I’m listening ".

" Hum, just wait a sec’ okay ? I’m coming back " said Eren before standing and running up the stairs to his bedroom. He was back less than a minute later, holding his laptop. He put it in the coffee table then sat back next to Levi, trying to ignore the tense atmosphere. He logged in on skype and started a call. Mikasa’s face appeared on the third ringtone :

" Hey Eren, how are— Oh god Eren, what’s with your face ? What happened ? " she panicked.

Eren smiled tensely at his friends then began :

" Mikasa, Armin, this is Levi. Levi, these are my two best friends, Armin and Mikasa ".

Levi and Armin nodded, while Mikasa eyed the raven suspiciously.

" Eren, what’s happening ? " said Mikasa, tone cold.

 

Eren was shaking. He took a big inspiration, trying to calm down. _You can do it !_ He was afraid but he wanted to change. He just had to let it out. He took another breath. And another. And another. Suddenly, Levi grabbed his hand, gently caressing it with his thumb. Eren relaxed a bit, giving him a thankfull smile before turning to his worried friends :

" Hum, I just wanted to say … huh, I-I, huh … "

" You can tell us everything Eren " encouraged Armin.

Eren smiled then let it out : " I love you guys ".

 

The silence was overwhelming. He stared at the floor, not daring to look at their reaction. Mikasa was the first one to break the silence : " I know. I love you too Eren ".

He moved so fast his spinal cracked. Mikasa was smiling sweetly at him, as was Armin. Eren let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, then held Levi’s hand tighter. The older man held back silently.

" Thank you guys. Hum, s-since, huh, since my m-mother d-death, huh, I-I, I know I was hard on you guys, and, just, hum, thank you. Thank you for being there for me, all this time. A-and, huh, I love you guys ".

Eren smiled at his friends, silent tears slowly running down his cheeks. At his mother mention, Armin and Mikasa had looked really surprised, then Armin had smile gently while Mikasa started to cry. She smiled at him, still crying, then her stare went back and forth between the brunette and the raven, finally stopping on their intertwined fingers, face unreadable.

Before Eren could get worried, Armin talked in a sweet voice :

" Thank you Eren. It means a lot ! You know you’re our friend and we love you. We will always be there for you. "

" Thanks Ar " replied Eren.

" Yes, Armin is right, we will always be here for you, whatever you may need " said Mikasa.

Then, her gaze met Levi’s and, to Eren’s surprise, she said : " Levi ? It’s nice to meet you "

" Yes, I’m glad to meet you too " rushed Armin with a smile.

Levi looked a them both then cracked a timid smile : " Likewise "

 

**～～～～～～**

 

The three friends talked for a long time, remembering their childhood and sharing memories of Eren’s mother. A lotof tears were shed, mostly from Eren and Mikasa. But somehow, Eren found tears to be less painful. He still hurt, but crying was easying the burden he was holding. As was talking about his mother with his friends. His friends who were there for him, his friends who had been there, his friends who always had his best interest at heart. They had convinced him to take the whole week off, to take care of himself and have some rest. Armin promised he will inform school and his work.

When both friends bid their goodbyes, they embarrassed him, asking Levi to ‘ _take good care of Eren_ ’.

 

Levi had kept silent all night, listening the shared memories, gently caressing Eren’s back each time he cried.

 

Once they were alone, Levi asked : " Do you want me to stay tonight ? "

Eren hesitated, he wanted Levi to but didn’t want to be a burden. As several seconds passed, unanswered, Levi added : " I will have to leave early tomorrow morning to get to work, but I can stay with you tonight if you want me to. I can come back on the evening to, so we eat together ? "

Eren hesitated a little more then decided to rely on Levi. If the man himself offered it, he hopefully didn’t think of Eren as a burden. The brunette nodded sheepishly and whispered a shy ‘ _thank you_ ’.

 

That night, they went to sleep on Eren’s bed, the brunette being gently lulled to sleep with Levi’s calm heartbeat.

 

**～～～～～～**

 

The following days were both soothing and overwhelming. Eren would woke up alone, with a note from Levi on the nightstand, telling him to eat breakfast. Then the brunette would go through his memories, sometimes despite himself, like scenes of the funerals or the days after ; sometimes willingly as he slowly went to retrieve the family photo albums and videos from his young days. He would watch them, remember and cry.

 

As he went through photos of his sixth birthday, a peculiar one caught his attention. It was a picture of him, smiling goofily (god, he even missed a tooth !) while he was opening his gifts. His mother was smiling warmly on his left, looking at him with love. There were severals gifts waiting up to be opened on his right, but he was focused on the little box in front of him. Every year, he would get a lot of nice and expensive gifts, from his friends and his family. But, everytime, his favorite one would be his mother’s. She wouldn’t buy fashionable or expensive toys, no, everytime, she would take an empty shoe box, wrap it with shiny paper, then fill it with little gifts, like candies, a bouncy ball, a toy to make soap bubbles, a funny key ring, multicolor marbles, … It was like a little box full of wonders just for him. When he opened his nice and expensive gifts, he used to feel happy and lucky, but each time he opened his mother’s, he would feel excited and loved. Yeah, he loved her gifts the most.

 

Sometimes, during the day, he would receive a text from his friends, wishing him to ‘ _get better soon_ ’ and remembering him they were ‘ _there for him if you need anything_ ’.

 

Every day around 7:30 pm, Levi would walk in with take out meals or some groceries he would cook for them both. Then they would eat, Levi listening to Eren talking about his mom or asking about his day.

Finally, Levi would wish him a good night and pat his head in front of the door before leaving.

 

Levi was truly here for him, but acted carefully. Since that dreadfull night, they hadn’t kiss or really acted like lovers. Levi was caring, but he had somehow put a distance between them, and Eren didn’t know what to do about it. He didn’t want to ask too much, didn’t want to push the raven away.

 

**～～～～～～**

 

When he woke up that thursday morning, Eren felt better. Not okay nor happy, but slightly better, like breathing was easier, less painfull. He went to the kitchen and made himself some coffee. Looking through the kitchen window, he leaned on the counter and thought about Levi. _Levi_. This beautiful man he had the chance to meet. This beautiful man he grew more and more infatuated with each passing day. This beautiful man who didn’t kiss him anymore. This beautiful man he had hurt.

 

Why was he putting a distance ? Perhaps he didn’t want them to be boyfriends anymore ? Or he was afraid Eren would think Levi was taking advantage of the situation ? Or that Eren was confusing his grateful feelings toward him for love ? Or perhaps Levi was still hurt by Eren ? Or Levi didn’t trust him, didn’t thought of himself worthy of love ? Or it could be that, with his past, Levi had trust issues ?

Eren had already thought about it when he was observing the older man, trying to get his number at the coffee shop. He had wondered why the raven had explicitly and harshly told him he didn’t want to have anything to do with him, if he was interested. Unless, it was a way to test his motivation.

Back then, Eren had thought Levi wanted to play hard to get, but now, he knew better. Now, he thought about it as a mean of protection. Levi was interested but didn’t want to get hurt by a player, didn’t want to risk to open to someone who would leave him soon after.

 

God, how he regreted his words ! Eren started to feel a headache. What should he do ? What could he do ? He didn’t want to lose Levi, he had to find a way to convey his feelings to the raven !

 

Then it occured to him. Eren was going to take a risk. And for that, he needed to go shopping.

 

**～～～～～～**

 

When Levi entered in the living room that night, he found Eren sat on the couch, waiting for him. The brunette smiled at him then pat the couch next to him, silently asking him to sit. Levi arched a brow but sat on the couch. Eren grabbed something hidden beside him and placed it gently on Levi’s lap.

" For you " said Eren, smiling sheepishly.

Levi looked at the box wrapped in a batman wrapping paper, puzzled :

" What the fuck is that for, kid ? "

" Open it " said Eren.

 

Levi stared at the younger man suspiciously and opened the box carefully. Slowly, he took out each item, looking at them before putting them on the couch. His stare grew more and more confused has he took in the lavender scent candle, the little chocolate box, the tea box of earl grey, the bottle of hand sanitizer and the firecracker. He kept silent, staring his gifts, a little smile fighting his furrowned eyebrows. Then his gaze met Eren’s and he whispered : " Why ? "

 

Eren took a big breathing, steadying himself : " Because you’re beautiful, Levi ".

Levi’s brows furrowned even more, but the older man looked scared, fragile : " What ? "

 

" You’re beautiful Levi. When I first met you, I thought you were really hot. Well, no, it was the following day actually, ‘cause the night I met you, I thought I was going to die … but, hum, anyway, at first, I was attracted to you because I found you really sexy. Then you told me you didn’t want to get to know me, so I wanted your number ‘cause you were sexy _and_ to prove a point. Then, while I was trying to woo you, I got to know you, and slowly, I came to find you more and more interesting. The way you hide your embarrassement, the way you’re awkward, the way you act with Hanji, the way you act like you’re an uninterested asshole when you’re really nice, the way you always clean around you or wipe a chair before sitting on it. Even before knowing the reason why, I found it cute. I found you cute. Then, finally, we had our first day, and I learned, in addition on you being sexy as hell and cute, you were also funny, crazy enought to try to open a door with firecracker, and carying. I grew more and more infatuated with you. With all of you. These last days, I learned you were also sweet and trustworthy. The other night, I told you really harsh words and I want you to know I’m really sorry, but above all, I want you to know I never meant what I said. I like all the sides of you that you showed me, and I want to know all of you. I like you, Levi. I really do. Not only because you were here for me when I needed you, but because of who you are. You are beautiful Levi. "

 

His breathing was heavy in his chest. It was an act of faith. Levi had listened silently, eyes widening more and more as Eren kept talking. On his last words, Levi had shut his eyes. Eren didn’t dare to break the silence, watching with apprehension the tensed, shaking raven facing him.

Then, timidly, Levi opened his eyes, one tear rolling slowly down his left cheek. He exhaled a deep breath, then whispered : " You too, you’re beautiful Eren "

 

Eren smiled so wide it almost hurt. Slowly, carefully, he leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Levi’s shoulders. When shy grey eyes met beaming green ones, Eren closed his eyes and gently pressed his lips on Levi’s.


	10. Lemon and Chocolate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Eren and Levi open the chocolate box

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys !!
> 
> Thank you so much for the comments and the kudos (OMG, I reached 100 kudos, I never dreamed I could reach so many, thank you guys XD) !!!!!!
> 
> Here is the last chapter before the epilogue. 
> 
> Just a warning here : I planned on writing a sweet and soothing chapter where Eren would take care of Levi, but somehow when I wrote it, it turned out into .... smut ?
> 
> I don't understand how it happened but anyway, smut it is guys !! (oh, don't look so disappointed ^^)  
> Another warning, it's my first time EVER writing smut so I'm not sure about the result ... don't expect too much of it ? 
> 
> Anyway, for those who don't like it, you can skip to the epilogue (when it will be post, muahahaha), for the others, as always, I hope you like it guys.
> 
> Enjoy XD

It felt like a first kiss. The first kiss between two men being truly themselves. A shy, gentle kiss with shared feelings and trust.

 

Eren felt overwhelmed. His heart was beating like crazy and he was torned between screaming and going hide under his blanket. He gently broke the kiss and looked at the raven facing him. Levi seemed as overwhelmed as him, almost panicked. That was the better kiss he ever had but neither of them were used, nor knew how to be vulnerable, how to be themselves with someone else. Somehow, it helped the brunet to relax. He was happy and terrified, but he liked Levi and wanted to be here for him. And now, seeing the look in the older man’s face, Levi needed someone.

The raven had tensed again and began to eye the door like a man getting ready to run. Eren carefully grabbed his face, cupping his cheeks with both hands, and rubbed soothing circles with his thumbs.

" Shhh, it’s okay " whispered Eren.

 

Levi stared back, taking in the little smile on Eren’s face, then eventually relaxed a little. He was still stiff under his hands and Eren wanted to try and sooth him some more. Relaxing Levi, making him feel safe and loved, and making himself feel safe and loved at the same time. Caring for the raven like he himself needed to be cared … soothing and securing both of them.

 

" Levi, can you do something for me ? " asked gently Eren.

" Mmh ? "

" Can you take off your shirt and lie on your stomach on the couch ? "

" Why ? " was the tense, suspicious reply.

" Because I want to take care of you, please ? I promess I’m not gonna hurt you " said Eren.

 

The raven shut his eyes and took several deep breaths, then nodded awkwardly. It was obvious Levi wasn’t totally okay with the situation but Eren was really glad he accepted nontheless. He let go of Levi and the older man stood up, taking his shirt off and lying on the couch, stare pointed at Eren.

The brunet sweetly smiled at him then grabbed the laptop on the coffee table. He put on his studio Ghibli’s playlist and put the laptop back on the table. Then, he pulled out a lighter of his jean’s pocket and lighted the lavender scented candle, carefully placing it on the floor, next to Levi’s head. The raven arched a brow as he watched him cleaning consciously his hands with the hand sanitizer. Eren kept silently smiling at him the whole time, and came back to him once finished. The brunet slowly straddled the older man and sat gently on his ass, making Levi startle.

" Sshh, it’s okay Levi, just close you eyes and let me take care of you " whispered Eren.

Levi awkwardly laid back, front press on the couch, breath tense.

 

_God, he is beautiful._

 

Slowly, Eren pressed his hands on the raven’s shoulders. He waited for Levi to get used to the touch before slowly sliding them to his lower back. When he reached the raven’s belt, he slided his hands back to his shoulders, then repeated each movements, lighlty caressing Levi with his fingertips, sometimes letting his hands wander to the raven’s, then back again to Levi’s shoulders.

He didn’t put much pressure at first, allowing the older man to get used to his caresses. When Levi’s muscles began to relax, Eren slowly leaned forward and pressed his lips on the older man’s nape. He followed the same pattern, tracing Levi’s spine with featherlight kisses, then moving to his left arm, then his right, then back to his nape while his hands caressed gently his waist.

He could feel Levi melt under his touch and grew more confident, putting more pressure in his caresses. Levi sighed and hummed contently. Eren kept his ministrations, whispering praises between two kisses as he ran gentle fingers on Levi’s back.

It felt more than nice, being able to touch Levi like that, being allowed to touch him with his hands, his lips, his words. The raven seemed to relax more and more, and warmth grew slowly on the brunet’s guts. Warmth from happiness, lust, and maybe something more …

Eventually, Levi fully relaxed and sighed contently, breath deep and eyes shut. Eren smiled, happy and proud as he took in the sight of a drowsing Levi.

Then his traitorous belly decided to growl loudly, startling both men. Eren cursed under his breath but was stop by a wonderful sound. Levi was laughing freely, looking at him with a genuine smile.

 

_So beautiful._

 

Levi contorted enough to stretch his arms then smirked : " How about some food, hum ? "

His voice was calm and deeper than usual, sending shivers through Eren’s body. The younger man gulped nervously and replied" Sounds good ".

 

**～～～～～～**

 

They sat at the kitchen table, facing each other, eating chinese take out. Levi was telling him about his day, complaining about Hanji’s new antics while trying to hide his smile. Eren was laughing, making Levi laugh with him. It was wonderfully normal and easy. Eren couldn’t stop smiling.

 

When their plates were empty, Levi seemed to reflect on something for several minutes, then said : " Hum, I didn’t buy dessert, so, maybe, we could open the chocolate box ? "

" Well, if you’re willing to share, I’m not one to refuse chocolate " smiled Eren, " How about I find a movie on my laptop and we eat some on the couch ? "

" Or, we could eat it on your bedroom " said carefully Levi.

 

Eren kept silent, looking at the raven’s face. _Does he really mean what I think ?_

_"_ That sounds better " replied Eren, smiling sheepishly. Levi smiled back and took his hand, gently leading the flustered brunet to the living room to retrieve the chocolate box and the candle, then to Eren’s bedroom.

 

Eren sat on the bed, watching Levi place the candle on his nightstand and light it. Then, the raven sat on the bed, back pressed on the headboard, chocolate box on his lap. Eren moved shyly next to him. Levi opened the box and offered it to the brunet. Eren popped one chocolate in his mouth, watching Levi doing the same and cracking a tiny smile.

" Not bad, " said Levi " how about another one, kid ? "

Eren nodded and Levi picked one, guiding his fingers to the younger man’s mouth, gently pressing the chocolate against his lips. Eren gulped and opened his mouth, allowing Levi’s fingers to place the chocolate on his tongue. Eren hummed contently, eyes locked on Levi’s darkened ones.

" Is it good ? " asked Levi, voice low.

Eren nodded and said : " What about you ? "

" Yeah, I think I’m gonna have some " smirked the raven.

 

Levi grabbed him by the collar and pressed their lips together in an hungry kiss. Eren moaned and Levi quickly pushed his tongue on the brunet’s mouth. It was really hot, his tongue and Levi’s dancing around each other, sucking on the melted chocolate. _So good_.

 

Levi’s hands were on him, running in his hair before sliding along his neck, his shoulders, stopping on his chest. Eren’s breath quickened as the older man laid him on his back, caging him against the bed. Levi broke the kiss and looked at him, eyes dark with lust, breath heavy.

" God, Eren, you’re so beautiful " said the older man in a husky voice.

Eren dropped his gaze, flustered, but Levi quickly grabbed his chin and forced his eyes upward.

" Don’t hide yourself, Eren. You are. "

Eren could feel his cheeks burn but nodded sheepishly. Levi smiled and leaned down to drop kisses along his jaw, his neck, his collarbone. He started sucking and nipping as his hands grabbed the edge of Eren’s shirt, slowly pushing the fabric upward and off, dropping it on the floor. Levi sat on Eren’s lap, looking smug as he removed his own shirt, then picked a chocolate. Eyes locked on Eren’s, he made a show of licking it sensually while moving his hips. Eren moaned, unconsciously thrusting back as he watched Levi. That was the sexiest thing he ever saw.

 

Levi lowered the hand holding the chocolate to drew on Eren’s chest, the melt chocolate leaving a dark pattern over his abs, chest and nipples. Eren moaned again and Levi popped the chocolate on the younger man’s mouth.

Eren’s heartbeat was erratic as Levi started to trace the chocolate pattern with his tongue, leaving wet prints in his chest, before lapping and nibbling his nipples. Erenwas drowning in pleasure, huffing while grinding on Levi’s crotch. His heart missed a beat when Levi’s tongue began to slide along his abs, licking it clean before heading lower and lower, until his mouth reached his groin. Eren groaned and fought to keep his eyes opened, watching Levi’s smirk as the older man stared back, forcefully pinning Eren’s hips on the bed.

The raven gently unbuttoned his pants, removing it along with his underwear and throwing it with Eren’s shirt. Eren nearly came as Levi took his hard lenght in his mouth. He was panting like crazy, the sight and pleasure combined almost too much for him. He grabbed on the sheets with both hands, trying to hold on as much as he can. Soon, white dots danced in front of his eyes and it didn’t take long before he cried Levi’s name, his warmth spreading throught Levi’s throat.

 

Bathing in the after glow, Eren was trying to catch his breath. Levi popped a chocolate in his mouth, eating it slowly while looking at Eren with a smug face. He licked his lips clean then let out a content sigh. Eren’s breath was finally back to normal and the younger man looked at him with a smile.

" Do you want to go further ? " asked gently Levi.

" God yes " was the immediate reply.

Levi laughed and added : " Got some lube, kid ? "

" First drawer " answered Eren, chin pointing to the nightstand.

Levi got up and opened the drawer, taking a small bottle of lube and a condom. He sat back next to the brunet and asked : " How do you want to do this ? "

Eren fidgeted a little and replied " I-I wouldn’t mind being the bottom, if you’re okay with it "

" That’s okay with me " smiled Levi.

 

The raven undid his belt, then took off his pants and underwear. He kneeled between Eren’s legs and locked his eyes with the younger man’s. Slowly, he slide his right hand to his groin and started stroking himself. _OMG, how can he be so sexy ?_

Levi leaned forward, and place his left hand next to Eren’s head, steadying himself while he kept stroking himself with the right one. He was so close Eren could feel his breath on his lips. Levi licked his lips slowly, eyes still glued on Eren. The brunet gulped loudly and felt his lenght getting hard again. He circled Levi’s neck with his arms and pressed their lips together.

Somewhere on his right, Eren heard the characteristics ‘pop’ of a plastic bottle being opened then closed.

Their tangled tongues danced together in a passionate kiss while Levi moved his right hand to cup Eren’s cheek. He caressed it with his thumb before sliding it slowly along his chest, to his right hipbone. They continued kissing as Levi stroked the younger man’s inner tight before sliding his hand to Eren’s entrance. Eren startled when Levi slide the first wet finger inside, and Levi placed soothing kiss along his jaw and neck. Eren’s breath got quicker and quicker while Levi prepared him, tracing his face and neck with featherlike kisses. Eren felt the warmth spread in his guts and started to pant heavily. He whined a little when Levi removed his fingers.

Eren’s breath was caught in his lungs as he watched the beautiful raven kneeling back between his legs, his hard length covered with a condom and lube. Levi leaned forward to kiss him and Eren took the chance to put back his arms around Levi’s neck. Then, Levi broke the kiss and locked in eyes with Eren’s as he slowly entered the brunet.

As they made love, both men held on each other, kissing and moaning until they drowned in pleasure. Not even once did they stopped looking into each other eyes.

 

**～～～～～～**

 

Levi was lying on his back, Eren’s head resting against his chest. The raven seemed relaxed, and stroked gently Eren’s hair as he watched the ceiling. Eren was trying to process what just happened.

_How did he deserve this wonderful man ?_ Levi was so beautiful, so sexy and caring. He was almost too much. He really liked that man, like, really really much. He didn’t know how to describe it, and felt his chest clench as he rose his head to look at Levi’s face. _Like_ was not enough to describe how he felt.

_God, Ilove —_

" God I love —" 

Levi’s shocked face made him realize he was mouthing his thoughts aloud. _How humiliating_.

His eyes widened and he felt his cheeks darkened. How could he be this dumb ? Levi seemed really shocked. And wasn’t it too soon ? Was he even supposed to feel _like_ _this_ this soon ?

" — it ! I love it, hum, being in your arms, that is " tried Eren, looking away.

The silence was heavy and Eren feared he had messed up really bad. Then he heard Levi clearing his throat and whispered " M-me too "

Eren looked back and stared at the raven with fearfull yet hopefull eyes. Levi looked back at him and continued with more confidence " Me too, I love … _it_  "

 

They shyly stared at each other for several minutes before Eren broke the silence.

" We are such dorks " giggled the brunet.

Levi cracked a smile, " We are "

" Yeah, we’re a good match " beamed Eren.

Levi laughed and added " Are you tired ? "

" Why ? "

" Hum, if you’re tired, I would let you sleep, but if you’re not… " smirked Levi, voice low.

" What if I’m not ? " asked Eren, wriggling his eyebrows playfully.

" Well, there are chocolates left in the box … "


	11. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys !!
> 
> Thank you so much for following this story and for all the reviews and kudos. 
> 
> Seriously, it means a lot, I love you so much guys !! <3<3<3
> 
> Here is the last chapter, I hope you like it !!
> 
> Enjoy XD

_Two Years Later_

 

Eren was laughing, listening to Levi complaining about some ‘ _Hanji’s fuckeries_ ’ as he called it. They were eating at the _Canard Laqué_ , the chinese restaurant having quickly become one of their favorite spot. They would drop by once or twice a month and enjoy a nice evening, savoring tasty meal and laughing at very unusual fortune cookies’ predictions.

 

They had been dating for almost two years and Eren was happier than ever. _They_ were happier than ever. They had taken things slow, getting to know each other, gradually learning to open up and trust the other. Eventually, Eren had started consulting a psychotherapist and learned how to better control his anger, which benefited both of them.

 

Though, as every couple, especially one with a hot headed brunet and an equally as stubborn raven, their relationship had up and down, and more that once did Levi end up screaming curses and Eren going for a run which was ‘ _better than breaking the nearest object_ ’ according to his therapist.

They would always make up, they cared too much for each other to let dumb quarrels destroy what they had patiently built together. And god, were their quarrels dumb ! Like the epic fight they had about where Eren should store his underwears on the day the brunet moved in with Levi after dating for one year ; or like that time when Levi wanted to watch a DVD and found Eren had stored Iron Man in his Lord Of The Rings box. 

 

And here they were, two years later, properly living together and enjoying every part of it. Eren never stoped thinking how lucky he was to have Levi. His beautiful, sweet and caring Levi. Levi, whose soft smile was only for him. Even his way of talking was sweeter. Though Levi opened a little more with his friends, he stayed the rude, cursing raven they knew. Except with Eren. The brunet didn’t know if Levi was aware of it, but Eren had notice Levi almost didn’t cursed when he talked to him, except, of course, when he was angry or complaining about something. That made Eren beyond happy, knowing that Levi felt safe enough to drop his defenses around him. To Eren, it was a beautiful proof of love. 

They had work so hard those past two years to improve themselves, their lifes and their relationship. And here he was, a freshly graduated middle school history teacher, watching the beautiful man sitting in front of him.

 

" — and when I told her to fuck off she fucking locked me in my office for _two_ hours until I fucking accepted to pick my favorite song between two shitty disney movie songs !! I’m gonna strangled her next time I see her !! God I swear, Hanji is getting weirder and weirder !! " ranted Levi.

" I’m surprise you didn’t try to kill her when she let you out " laughed Eren.

" She got the janitor to unlock the door " pouted Levi.

Eren giggled and added : " More importantly, Lev, which song did you pick ? "

Levi groaned, then replied : " Some _Beauty and the Beast_ shit … "

Eren bursted out laughing " OMG, really ? I didn’t know you were such a romantic, Levi !! "

" Fuck off, it was that or the _Let it go_ frozen shit !! God I can’t stand this shit anymore !! "

" I feel you, babe ! I feel like if I hear it one more time, I could just kill someone ! You totally picked the right one ! But why did Hanji needed you to pick one ? "

" Like hell I know ! Shitty glasses is fucking unsane ! " groaned Levi.

 

Eren took his lover hands in his own and smiled sweetly at him. He pressed a gentle kiss in each, smile widening as Levi slightly blushed and relaxed under his touch. Levi sighed then asked, voice back to normal," Anyway, what about your day ? "

 

While Eren explained how he had an argument with a student in front of all his class about a misspelling, only to find out later his student had actually been right, their waiter brought them two cups of coffee with two fortune cookies.

" You’re such a brat ! " laughed Levi.

" So mean ! How about comforting me, like, you know, a _boyfriend_ should ? " pouted Eren.

" If anyone, I feel like I should comfort your student, you crappy teacher ! Anyway, stop complaining and take a cookie " smirked Levi.

 

Eren pouted and picked one.He cracked it opened, the little message falling in his palm. He turned to look at Levi and grinned, " Ready ? "

Levi smirked back," Go ahead "

 

Eren impatiently unfolded the little piece of paper and read it out loud" Will you marry me ? "

 

_Huh ?_ Eren stared at the message, dumbfounded, as he slowly read it a second time. _Will you marry me ?_ _What was that ? Why would —?_

His eyes widened and he quickly looked at Levi, words dying on his lips as he took in the sight in front of him. Levi was looking at him with warm yet shy eyes, a black velvet box in the palm of his right hand. Eren’s heart squeezed in his chest as Levi opened it slowly, revealing a golden band. Hopefull silver eyes met teary green ones and Levi asked softly, " Will you ? "

 

Eren took a deep breath but couldn’t form words. Levi wanted to marry him ! He wanted to marry _him_ ! Warmth spread throught his body and he nodded vigorously, hand on his mouth to try holding back his sobs. Levi let out a deep sigh of relief and gave him the brighest smile he had ever saw. He took the golden band and, reaching for the brunet’s hand, put it gently on his fiance ring finger. Eren watched Levi press a light kiss on the ring, before smiling fondly at him.

" Thank you " said Levi.

 

Eren couldn’t hold back his tears anymore and they ran freely as he launched himself in Levi’s arms, sobbing in his neck.

" I love you so much Levi " cried Eren.

" I love you too "

 

Both men startled when patrons and staff members cheered around them. The blushing couple nodded at them and Eren unwillingly detached himself from the raven to sit back on his chair. The brunet was on cloud nine. He felt an urge to laugh and run across the room.

" Levi ? "

" Yes ? "

" Could we go ? I want to be alone with you " asked a blushing Eren.

 

Levi just smiled and stood up, putting several bills on the table before leading them outside. They walked hand in hand, silently enjoying each other company. To Eren’s surprise, instead of his car, Levi lead them to a nearby park. They sat on a bench near a street light to watch the moon. Head on Levi’s shoulder, Eren sighted contently and looked at his left hand. The golden band shined softly on his tanned skin. He smiled.

" I’m so happy, Levi. I know it’s hard for you to express your feelings, especially in public, and I never dreamed you would ever proposed to me like this. But you did ! And it’s so romantic, so perfect. I’m really happy right now. Thank you Levi. I love you !! "

 

For a moment, Levi didn’t say anything. Eren didn’t think much of it since what he said didn’t call for a reply, but then, Levi gently detached himself from him and got up. Before Eren could say something, Levi moved in front of him and, eyes fixated on him, got slowly on one knee.

" Eren, I, huh, it’s true that it’s hard for me to express my feelings with words, and I’m not really one for public demonstrations of affection but, hum, tonight, it wasn’t hard. Because it’s you. Because I love you. Because I want to spend the rest of my life with you, grow old and grumpy next to you, fight with you over dumb things and laugh with you over dumber things. I want to make tea for you when you’re stressed, I want to take care of you when you’re sick, I want to watch you when you make silly face at the tv screen while playing video games, I want to listen to your horrible singing under the shower when you think I can’t hear you, I want to be here for you and you for me, in good and bad days, and care for each other, together. Because it’s you. Because I love you. "

 

For the second time that night, tears found their way on Eren’s cheeks. He gently cupped Levi’s jaw with shaky hands and pressed his lips on the raven’s forehead, nose, cheeks, all over his face before Levi’s lips met his own in a gentle kiss.

When they parted, Eren looked him in the eyes and whispered, " Let’s go home ? I want to make love to you "

 

Levi nodded, smiling, and both men stood up. Hand in hand, they headed back to Levi’s car, silently walking under the moonlight.

 

**～～～～～～**

 

Eren was smiling contently on the passenger seat, humming along with the playing song while Levi drove them home. That was the best night of his life.

He laughed as the next song played. _Another bites the dust_ from Queen. That was a bit odd for their romantic night. You would have expect the man to put some classic or sweet song. Even a cheesy disney song would have been more appropriated, but it was Levi, so it didn’t bothered him.

Strangely, thinking about disney songs made him a little uneasy. He frowned and wondered why was that, until it hit him. _Oh. Oh, no. God no !_

 

" Eren, are you ok ? " asked Levi.

Eren turned his head to look at a worried Levi.

" Hum, yeah, yeah, don’t worry " said sheepishly Eren, " just, huh, now is probably a good time to tell you, hum, do you remember around the time we met, when I tried to pick you up with sci-fi movies’ pun ? "

Levi blinked, surprised, " Yes ? "

" Well, huh, actually it was Hanji’s idea. Back then I asked for her help … "

" Okay …"  was the careful reply.

" And, hum … in exchange for her help, I may have promised her something … "  added shyly Eren.

" God, spit it out, brat ! " groaned Levi.

Eren took a deep breath and said " I promised her she could pick the song of our wedding's first dance together "

" … "

" L-Levi ? "

" HELL FUCKING NO !! "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was it ? ^^
> 
> Hope you liked it :)
> 
> For those who asked, I have other stories about these two dorks in head ... it will be quite different from this one, but still a love story. This time though, I'm thinking of writing in Levi's POV. 
> 
> We will see ...in the meantime, take care guys !! <3<3<3


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